Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 66-70

Behind marketing accounts lies a complete food chain. Many seemingly unrelated accounts are actually controlled by a single company. Casting a wide net with focused catches — under this strategy, the well-known marketing accounts seen by netizens are, in fact, surrounded by countless failed corpses.

 

The world isn’t just black and white; there’s also a hazy gray — and quite a bit of it. The internet is one of those gray areas. Countless bloodsucking parasites cling to this land for survival, gradually growing stronger. Their swelling ambition causes them to forget their identity, attempting to challenge the rules, even trying to rewrite them.

 

But all of this is based on the premise that those in power do not interfere.

 

Now, however, the authorities have made a move — specifically targeting them.

 

Police in uniform suddenly visited, knocked once, and without waiting for anyone inside to open the door, they forcibly kicked it open and poured in, quickly subduing everyone inside.

 

A complete sweep. Everyone was taken away.

 

The boss behind the company was usually not at the office, but that day he just happened to be making rounds and was caught as well. He knew that working in this industry would inevitably offend people, but in the past, the worst that happened was receiving a lawyer’s letter, and in the end, nothing came of it. This time, the police came directly to arrest them — they must have provoked someone serious. He reviewed his recent work in his mind, but it didn’t seem like he had offended anyone particularly powerful.

 

So, where exactly had things gone wrong?

 

He couldn’t figure it out but wasn’t particularly worried. After all, he was someone who had weathered many storms.

 

“I need to contact—” he began calmly, but before he could finish, he took a solid punch to the face, and the taste of bl00d filled his mouth.

 

“Shut up. Who the hell told you to talk?” the person who hit him said coldly.

 

His face was burning with pain, but he didn’t care, because what was happening was far beyond his expectations. Though these people wore uniforms, they were definitely not ordinary police officers. Judging by their behavior and demeanor, they were most likely military thugs!

 

And soon, facts proved his suspicion correct. The group of them was taken to a small, dark room. There were no windows, only a dim yellow light hanging from above. The iron door shut with a bang, causing the lamp to sway and creak. The atmosphere was oppressively tense.

 

A red light glowed in the corner — a surveillance camera — and beside it, an intercom speaker.

 

“I’ve got a question for you all. That night, who came up with the idea to use the Peaceful Imperial Capital’s video as a topic? Who was involved? Don’t rush. Take your time. Think it over and answer only when you’re ready. I want to hear a satisfactory answer. Otherwise…”

 

A casual-sounding young man’s voice came from the speaker.

 

Those squatting in the room were people who had long gotten used to acting recklessly online, and instinctively brought their free-speech attitude here, shouting that they wanted to see lawyers. But there was no response at all. They didn’t even know if there was anyone outside.

 

It was terrifying. In this sunless place, the air itself seemed to reek of decay. Their phones had no signal. They couldn’t even call for help.

 

That person had told them not to rush — and indeed gave them more than enough time. A whole day. No food, no water, crammed into such a tiny space. It even made one wonder if they’d run out of oxygen.

 

They didn’t even need to be physically beaten — this group, whose strength lay only in their sharp tongues online, broke down one by one, crying and confessing.

 

The mastermind and operator were the same person, and two others helped guide the narrative. Of the dozen or so people brought in, three scapegoats and the relevant accounts were handed over before the rest were allowed to leave. Just before the door opened to let them go, the speaker sounded again:

“If you don’t want to end up like those three and spend a few years inside, then remember very clearly what you should and shouldn’t say.”

 

From beginning to end, they never saw the person who spoke.

 

Everyone in the industry basically knew who controlled which accounts behind the scenes. When all the accounts under that company didn’t update for over a day, others knew something had happened. Although later both the boss and the employees returned, it wasn’t long before most of them quit. One or two resignations could be chalked up to personnel changes, but this many at once was a personnel disaster. While the barrier to entry in online marketing was low, doing it well was not easy. Moreover, competitors wouldn’t give them a chance to recover. News that three employees of a certain company had been arrested and imprisoned spread within the industry overnight. Those who had considered applying quickly backed off.

 

Thus, a company that had once carried significant weight in the industry collapsed.

 

Fans from various fandoms who had been targeted before found it delightful and began digging for the full story. Unfortunately, this time, the real insiders all seemed collectively blind — they ignored the matter completely, letting fans speculate wildly. After a while with no results, interest faded.

 

The only thing everyone agreed on was that Jing Ling had strong backing — so much so that for a long time afterward, marketing accounts avoided mentioning him. If they had to bring him up, their wording was extremely cautious.

 

Baicheng.

 

After confirming that someone really was following her, Qi Lili’s briefly settled heart tensed up again. She began to avoid going out as much as possible, especially at night — she didn’t even dare to go downstairs to throw out the trash. She kept her doors tightly locked and always triple-checked everything before going to bed. Even though her home was on the seventh floor and the windows were barred, she still carefully inspected them.

 

The soundproofing in the old residential complex wasn’t great. Occasionally, if someone upstairs came home late and stomped or clapped to turn on the hallway lights, she would wake up in shock.

 

She felt that if this continued, she would collapse from fear even before the stalker could do anything to her. Just as she was debating whether to tell her parents and ask for advice, the son of Aunt Qin from across the hall came home on leave from the army. He brought back some local specialties and came to deliver a portion to the Qi household.

 

At that time, Qi Lili was home alone. The knock on the door startled her so much she almost dropped what she was holding. She cautiously approached the door, peeked through the peephole, and saw a tall, sturdy figure. Thankfully, Aunt Qin’s voice followed shortly, or she would’ve frightened herself again.

 

She opened the door with the security chain still latched, peered through the crack, and only after confirming it was Aunt Qin did she invite them in. Her parents weren’t home. Aunt Qin left the items and departed. In the evening, the door was knocked again — this time, it was Aunt Qin’s son alone. Qi Lili, as before, spoke to him through the gap in the door.

 

“What are you afraid of?” he asked directly.

 

Aunt Qin’s son was named Li Feng. After high school, he joined the army and had now served for ten years. He was a reconnaissance soldier, sharp and observant — not like those dumb grunts. The first time he knocked on Qi Lili’s door, he felt something was off. It was normal for a girl to be cautious when alone at home, but in an old neighborhood like theirs, neighbors generally got along. Especially since they lived across the hall and his mother had called her name — yet Qi Lili still kept the security chain on and only peeked through the crack. That was overly cautious. Later, he secretly observed her home. Even during the day, all the windows were tightly shut. Her mental state wasn’t right.

 

Li Feng didn’t usually meddle, but Qi Lili wasn’t exactly a stranger. She had followed him around ever since elementary school, until he left for the army.

 

After he bluntly asked the question, Qi Lili’s hand on the chain visibly trembled, and the chain clinked. “No, there’s nothing!” she denied, instinctively trying to close the door.

 

Li Feng reached in through the gap and grabbed her hand. “Qi Lili, I’m not a stranger. Don’t you remember? I used to take you to school when you were little. You always called me ‘ge’ back then!”

 

Qi Lili froze. His words triggered memories of the past. Taking the chance, he reached in, unlatched the security chain, pushed the door open, and entered, closing it behind him.

 

—

 

“So you’re scared because you found out someone was stalking you? Why didn’t you tell Uncle and Auntie, or call the police?” Li Feng frowned so hard it seemed he could crush a fly.

 

Qi Lili sat on the sofa, head bowed, silent in response.

 

“Forget it, I’ll go with you tomorrow to take a look.” Li Feng sighed.

 

The next morning, Qi Lili was again woken by the sound of footsteps. Her father had gone to work early, and her mother, still sick with a cold, was sound asleep. After washing up and getting dressed, she looked through the peephole — Li Feng was already outside, dressed in casual clothes, waiting. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

 

The two walked down from the seventh to the second floor. There, Li Feng stopped and carefully instructed, “Don’t be afraid. Just walk naturally toward the park. I’ll be right behind you to protect you.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Qi Lili bit her lip and agreed, then continued downstairs to the first floor, exited the building, and followed the route Li Feng had mapped out, heading toward the park. A few steps in, she instinctively wanted to look back but remembered Li Feng’s instructions and held back, moving forward until the corner. She glanced sideways toward the stairwell — Li Feng was coming down the stairs.

 

Her anxious heart inexplicably settled.

 

It took about fifteen minutes to walk from the building to the park. After arriving, she strolled along a somewhat secluded path, just as she had before. The deeper she went, the fewer people there were. The trees were dense, and the shrubs hadn’t been trimmed in ages, barely retaining their original shape.

 

Li Feng followed behind and did indeed spot the stalker. Something felt off, but he didn’t care — the priority was catching and beating the guy first. He silently approached the stalker and made his move.

 

But the opponent’s reaction surprised him — he dodged Li Feng’s sneak attack and immediately countered with a punch. The two began fighting in the park. After several exchanges, a second person suddenly emerged from the side and kicked toward Li Feng.

 

“Damn it, there’s an accomplice!” Li Feng cursed and, while handling both attackers, shouted to Qi Lili, “You run first!”

 

 

Chapter 67

 

 

Li Feng, 1 vs 2. Neither of those two were easy opponents—he was already having a hard time dealing with them. The moment he turned to tell Qi Lili to leave first, he immediately fell into a disadvantage. He was struck by a sweeping kick from the target he was tailing and, losing his balance, fell backward. Then came a sudden attacker—like Cheng Yaojin cutting into battle halfway through—who drove a knee into his abdomen while simultaneously grabbing both his arms, forcing him to flip over, face down on the ground.

 

Click—a soft snap sounded, and a cold sensation came from his wrist.

 

The feeling was all too familiar. Li Feng froze, then tentatively asked, “Plainclothes?” In fact, he had already felt something was off after following for a while—the other party’s tracking skills were highly refined, not the kind you’d find with amateurs, more like what he had learned in the military. And now, with the handcuffs being so skillfully used and carried around, he could basically confirm the man’s identity.

 

Still, he hadn’t given it much thought at the time. Even now, he found it hard to understand—Qi Lili was just an ordinary girl, why would police disguise themselves to tail her?

 

“Damn, after following for so long, you finally show yourself. Are all you psycho serial killers wired differently or what? The target’s right there and you don’t make a move—you sneak up from behind to ambush me instead!” the other man cursed while yanking Li Feng up off the ground. “Be honest and get up!”

 

Then he turned to the other man and said, “Bro, thanks a lot. I’ll put in a recommendation to get you a ‘Bravery in Justice’ flag!”

 

From the moment they made a move to when it ended, it had only been a dozen seconds. Although Li Feng had shouted during the struggle, Qi Lili—who had been close to a mental breakdown lately—didn’t react nearly fast enough. By the time Li Feng was being pinned and dragged, she had already frozen in place in terror. Her round apricot eyes were wide with fear, pupils contracted, her face full of fright.

 

“Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! I’m Qi Lili’s neighbor, served in the military, just came back yesterday to visit family.” Li Feng explained while turning his head toward Qi Lili. Seeing her expression, he quickly tried to comfort her. “Lili, don’t be scared, they’re not bad people!”

 

At these words, the other two men were both stunned.

 

“Sh1t, wrong guy?!”

 

As the person at the center of the situation, Qi Lili’s words obviously held the most weight. After she came to her senses and confirmed Li Feng’s identity, the plainclothes officer removed the handcuffs and apologized somewhat awkwardly. Li Feng wasn’t the petty type, and since this was clearly just a misunderstanding, he didn’t need the apology and let it go. The plainclothes officer was named Wang Hao. After a brief discussion with Li Feng, they both realized something was off—the helpful young man had shown up too suddenly, acted immediately without hesitation, and his skills were too polished.

 

They both turned to look at the man.

 

The man wasn’t flustered at all and calmly introduced himself.

 

“My surname is Song—Song Xiuyuan. I was also following Qi Lili for the same reason as you: to wait for demon.”

 

Song Xiuyuan was from the Eastern Song family, one of the five great families. Fifteen years ago, when demon committed their crimes, he had only been twelve, just graduating elementary school. His entire class had gone on an outing to the outskirts for a picnic in the woods. He was assigned to collect firewood, paired with a quiet girl who trailed behind him. At the time, he thought he could do it alone, so he placed a few twigs on the ground symbolically and told her to wait there. After that parting, the next time he saw the girl, not even her full corpse remained.

 

Her name was Zhang Qiaoqiao. Her father had just solved a major trafficking case shortly before her death. She became demon’s second known victim.

 

For a long time after that, Song Xiuyuan wondered—if he hadn’t left Zhang Qiaoqiao behind, could the tragedy have been avoided? Wracked by guilt and remorse, he had followed the demon case closely ever since. But after seven brutal murders, demon suddenly disappeared without a trace, as if they had never existed. Years passed, but Song Xiuyuan never moved on from it. Even when the files were sealed away, he kept tracking any trace of demon.

 

Wang Hao didn’t know Song Xiuyuan’s past. But hearing the name “demon” from his mouth instantly raised his suspicions. “How do you know about demon?” The case was fifteen years old and wouldn’t have been reopened unless the suspect resurfaced. Even though there had been recent sightings, the news was still under wraps—an ordinary person shouldn’t know about it. Yet this man not only knew demon had resurfaced, but also that Qi Lili was connected to the 430 case—and had even made it to her doorstep. Incredibly suspicious.

 

“My family lives on Double Moon Island,” Song Xiuyuan said.

 

Double Moon Island—a gathering place for the elites of the Eastern Administrative District. Anyone who lived there was someone of rank and influence in the entire district.

 

Still, it was just words, and Wang Hao wasn’t about to trust that so easily. He made a call to his superiors to report the situation and got a response within ten minutes: “Leave his case alone!”

 

Wang Hao tried to ask for details, but the other side simply hung up. With his curiosity unfulfilled, he quickly shifted focus and leaned over to Song Xiuyuan. “Since you managed to track down this place, you must also know the other people involved in the 430 case. Why not go find them?”

 

Song Xiuyuan was concise: “Instinct.”

 

Wang Hao had hoped for some inside information, but this answer left him disappointed. He muttered pessimistically, “Instinct is too vague. What if demon finds someone else first?”

 

Trying to help his neighbor girl by catching a stalker, only to get caught himself by another plainclothes officer and a mysterious third party—such a melodramatic turn of events left Li Feng speechless. After hearing a bit more of the backstory from Wang Hao, he called Qi Lili over with a deadpan expression. Instead of going home, they stayed in a quiet corner of a nearby park, where elderly folks could be seen passing by with bird cages and leashed dogs.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me about the 430 case earlier?” he asked.

 

Qi Lili kept her head down for a long time before replying, “Brother Feng, I’m sorry. I thought it was all in the past…”

 

Seeing her sit quietly and obediently like that, Li Feng was reminded of the little girl who used to follow him around like a shadow. His heart softened immediately—how could he stay mad? “You know how dangerous the Heduo District is. Why did you go there alone? If one of our people hadn’t happened to be carrying out a mission nearby, you would’ve been gone forever… The injuries on your body—those happened there too, right? Damn shame those scumbags got the death sentence. Otherwise, I would’ve skinned them myself!”

 

As he finished speaking, Qi Lili said softly, “It wasn’t them. It wasn’t…” She even emphasized it again. Drug dealers were indeed unforgivable, but at that moment, that one person had been even scarier than the traffickers. She had never imagined that someone who usually seemed bright and cheerful could become so terrifying…

 

“It wasn’t them? Then who was it? Tell me—I’ll go beat them up for you!” Li Feng’s brows furrowed tightly.

 

Qi Lili shook her head and stood up. “It’s fine, Brother Feng. Let’s go home.”

 

If she could, she’d drag Gao Wei out and beat him up too. But there was no chance anymore. When she heard from Wang Hao that Gao Wei had died, she found it hard to accept. It wasn’t that she still had feelings for him—she just thought that although Gao Wei was awful, he didn’t deserve death. Life only comes once, yet there are always people who trample on it like it’s nothing. She could only hope the police would catch demon soon, before any more innocent people were hurt.

 

Wang Hao’s pessimism proved prophetic. A week later in the evening, another person connected to the 430 case—the child of the freighter captain—was harmed. Surveillance had been placed around more than just Qi Lili, but demon still found an opening to strike. According to the captain, he had received a text message from an unknown sender claiming to have his son, along with a brief physical description.

 

Though skeptical, he still called to confirm.

 

That phone call ended his son’s life. Because when he called, the boy was in a sealed space with high levels of gas leakage. The instant the phone rang, it triggered an explosion. The boy died instantly, body incomplete. The plainclothes officer stationed nearby couldn’t do anything.

 

The only consolation was that police managed to capture a possible glimpse of the suspect on nearby surveillance footage. A special task force was formed to track the suspect, but he escaped, fleeing to neighboring Qin City and vanishing into the Changchu Mountains. Unless he came out on his own, catching him would be nearly impossible.

 

Wang Hao had saved Song Xiuyuan’s number and called to inform him—only to find the man was already driving toward Qin City.

 

“Knew it—he’s from Double Moon Island. His intel’s freakishly fast!”

 

With both arms fractured, he needed time to recover and couldn’t take on any work. After being discharged from the hospital in the Cuihu District, Jing Ling stayed in the capital for a few days before returning to school. After all, he was still a student, not just a celebrity.

 

But both his hands were injured, making daily life very inconvenient. Shen Ze considered hiring an assistant but worried they wouldn’t do a good job. So he rolled up his sleeves and took on the role himself—attending classes with him, carrying bags, serving tea, feeding meals, full-on butler mode. Their schoolmates started casting ambiguous glances at the two of them.

 

Jing Ling was deeply moved by Shen Ze—hiring one man who worked like an entire team. And he didn’t just say thank you—he took real action. “Ah Ze, didn’t you say I should join a variety show? Go ahead and pick one.”

 

Shen Ze froze, then said expressionlessly, “Don’t think this little gesture is enough for me to forget how you sold me out in Cuihu District.”

 

“Ah Ze, don’t be like that—” Just as he was about to plead his case, the phone rang. Shen Ze handed it to him. It was a call from Officer Xu Shaohuai.

 

“Officer Xu, long time no see. What can I do for you?”

 

“Demon has gone into the Changchu Mountains.”

 

“…Wait, don’t tell me you want me to go? Did you forget I’m still injured?!”

 

 

Chapter 68

 

 

“What does it matter? I see you’ve been running and jumping around lately, looking very healthy. Besides, you don’t need to catch anyone yourself—just keep track of the target’s whereabouts.” Xu Shaohuai completely ignored Jing Ling’s question, his tone unchanged. “Don’t worry, you won’t be working for nothing. Whatever requests you have, feel free to mention them. If you want to take your time to consider, that’s fine too.”

 

Jing Ling, who had just been complaining like an overworked laborer, immediately agreed without hesitation upon hearing this. “I’ll gladly accept Officer Xu’s goodwill. I’ll likely be bothering you again in the future. So, about what you mentioned earlier—when do we depart?”

 

The other end of the call was suspiciously silent for two seconds before responding, “Roughly in about an hour. Someone will come pick you up.”

 

Jing Ling also fell silent. “Officer Xu, you didn’t really give me much of a choice from the beginning, did you?”

 

“Get ready.” The person on the other end didn’t respond to his comment, simply gave this instruction and then hung up.

 

Jing Ling tilted his head and said to Shen Ze, “All right.” The latter looked at him with a hesitant expression. Jing Ling asked, “What is it?”

 

“Where are you going?” Shen Ze asked as he put away his phone.

 

“A part-time job. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” Jing Ling said with a smile. It was just an unarmed murderer, who had even run into the Changchu Ridge—might as well be delivering himself on a silver platter.

 

Xu Shaohuai said it would be an hour, but in reality, people arrived in about forty minutes. They weren’t from the Qin City police force, but a special operations team sent directly from above. When they were almost at Yijiao University, Xu Shaohuai sent a text to Jing Ling, telling him to go to the school’s back gate.

 

During this time, Shen Ze had been with Jing Ling the whole way. Even though he hadn’t heard what Xu Shaohuai said on the phone, considering the man’s powerful background and the fact that he needed Jing Ling’s help, it clearly wasn’t a simple matter—and likely dangerous. Even when Jing Ling wasn’t injured before, Shen Ze hadn’t wanted him to go. Let alone now, with both arms still in casts.

 

But that was just his opinion. Jing Ling had never been the obedient type. Whether he should or shouldn’t do something, and how to do it, always depended on his own will. Since he’d agreed this time, Shen Ze didn’t have much else to say aside from reminding him to be careful. As for going along to take care of him? That thought never even crossed his mind. Some things weren’t his business to know—Jing Ling’s silence on it confirmed that.

 

So when Jing Ling received the text, Shen Ze only said, “Be careful,” before sending him downstairs.

 

Jing Ling rented a place outside the school. It took ten minutes to walk from there to the school’s back gate.

 

In Qin City, the June sun blazed fiercely, scorching the earth. It was around noon, and there was barely anyone in sight under the intense sunlight. When he reached the street opposite the school’s back gate, he spotted a black SUV parked under a large tree ahead.

 

The special operations team sent this time consisted of three people—two men and one woman, all in their twenties. The woman’s codename was Linghu (Spirit Fox). She was the driver and in charge of logistics support. The other two guys, one nicknamed Big Mouth and the other Watermelon, didn’t match the girl’s style at all.

 

“Where is this guy? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?” Big Mouth had one leg resting on the front seat’s backrest and complained with some impatience.

 

“What are you in such a rush for?” Watermelon gave him a sideways glance.

 

“How can I not be? That bastard ran into the mountains yesterday evening. We learned in middle school geography that the Changchu Ridge mountain range is still very primitive—bears, tigers, wolves, they’ve got everything. Didn’t they find a wild South China tiger there last year? It even made the papers. What if the guy’s unlucky and ends up getting eaten? Then we came all this way for nothing!” Big Mouth defended himself.

 

“Yes, yes, your middle school geography was amazing. Must you always show off?” Watermelon rolled his eyes.

 

Big Mouth, not backing down, was about to argue some more, when Linghu in the front spoke up. “Someone’s approaching and you didn’t even notice. Still have the nerve to argue!” The two instantly snapped to attention. Looking through the rearview mirror, they did indeed see someone walking toward them—only about three or four meters away. The person was dressed casually, had an unreasonably good-looking face, looked around seventeen or eighteen years old, and both arms were in casts. He was probably a local university student.

 

“That’s not even the guy we’re waiting for!” Big Mouth muttered, then slumped back again.

 

Watermelon, however, frowned. They’d picked this parking spot deliberately—for the wide field of view, so they could spot any movement nearby. Even if this was just a pickup mission and didn’t need to be too cautious, old habits were hard to change. It was understandable he and Big Mouth had missed it while chatting, but Linghu was in the front. “You only noticed just now?” he asked.

 

“Mm,” Linghu replied, hands on the wheel.

 

That didn’t seem quite right.

 

Before he could puzzle it out, the person had already walked up to the car, bent down slightly, and spoke to Linghu in the driver’s seat.

 

“Changchu Ridge.”

 

The three inside the car froze. Their orders from above had simply been to pick someone up at Yijiao University. No one said what kind of person. The codeword was “Changchu Ridge.” They’d imagined their collaborator would be a university professor or a local familiar with the mountains—certainly not some barely-of-age kid, and an injured one at that!

 

“What the hell, did we get the wrong guy?!” Big Mouth blurted out, turning to Watermelon.

 

Watermelon glared at him. “Shut up!”

 

Linghu, after a pause, asked, “Pretty boy, what did you say?”

 

The person smiled at her. “Didn’t you say if we’re late, the target might become a snack for wild beasts? I hope we can wrap this up quickly too—best if I’m back in time for dinner.”

 

Big Mouth & Watermelon & Linghu: “…”

 

The short-haired girl leaned over to open the front passenger door for him. Jing Ling stepped in, lifted his long leg, and shut the door with a toe. The girl probably meant to help close it, but didn’t expect this, so she retracted her half-raised hand and instead turned the key to start the car. The vehicle slid out from under the tree and drove toward the outskirts.

 

“Thanks. I’m Jiang Yang,” said Jing Ling.

 

“No problem. Linghu,” the girl replied, eyes on the road.

 

The two in the back followed suit.

 

“Big Mouth.”

 

“Watermelon.”

 

“Can you tell me the specifics?” Jing Ling asked. Xu Shaohuai had only told him to go on a mission and promised a reward—nothing more.

 

The three from the special ops team already thought he was unreliable. Hearing this only made them more concerned. They’d come all the way from the capital to carry out this mission—if they ended up empty-handed, it wouldn’t look good.

 

Big Mouth, being straightforward, said, “Brother, no offense, but you’re injured, and we’re heading deep into the mountains. You really don’t look like you’d be much help.” As soon as he finished, Watermelon kicked him. He yelped and glared back. “Why’d you kick me?!”

 

Watermelon was touched by his teammate’s utter lack of tact and held his forehead. “Jiang Yang, don’t mind him. Big Mouth can’t say anything nice.”

 

Jing Ling shook his head, not bothered. He would’ve had the same doubts if he were them. He explained, “My task this time is to help you locate the target. In the end, you’ll have to make the arrest yourselves. As for how I’ll find them, you’ll see once we get there. But before that, I’d like you to tell me about the suspect—mainly where they entered the mountains.”

 

Changchu Ridge covers a huge area. Even limiting it to the section bordering Qin City, searching for one person was like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

Watermelon filled him in on the situation. As it happened, the suspect entered the mountains in the same area Jing Ling had visited with the film crew earlier that year. When they left, Little Grey had escorted them out, its massive body carving a path through the woods and leaving behind a snake trail marked with the unique musk of serpents. Though Jing Ling hadn’t visited the two creatures in months, an agreement with the military had arranged for scheduled feedings of fresh beef every week. The people responsible for the feeding would send the surveillance footage to his email afterward.

 

Coincidentally, tomorrow was feeding day. As long as Little Grey was in the area, no large predators would dare approach. So unless the suspect wandered too far off track, there was no danger of becoming anyone’s snack in the next couple days.

 

The SUV continued toward the outskirts. Halfway there, a silver sedan emerged from a side road, veered in front of them, and stayed ahead—following the ring road, then the village road, and finally turning onto a dirt path. Judging by its direction, it was heading to the same place.

 

Just as Watermelon began to grow suspicious, a call came in from above, informing them that an additional member had been temporarily added to the special ops team—surname Song, full name Song Xiuyuan. Watermelon and the others didn’t find this strange, but Jing Ling took note of the surname, suspecting this person might be from the Song family of the East.

 

They soon arrived at the foot of the mountain and both vehicles stopped. Linghu remained behind, while the others entered the forest.

 

Big Mouth and Watermelon took the lead. Jing Ling, tagged as an “injured,” only needed to give directions. They followed the same path he’d taken months ago. In that short time, the vegetation and branches they had cut through had already regrown—now wild and dense, making the trail invisible.

 

Birds chirped energetically in the woods, exchanging chatter:

 

—So scary, that big monster is back again!

 

—I just ducked here after seeing it. I’ll go back once it’s gone!

 

—I’ve been avoiding it for ages. That place is ours—why let an outsider take it?

 

—Because it’s fat!

 

—You can refuse, but it might suck you right into its belly with one breath!

 

—That’s not fat, that’s gigantic!

 

Jing Ling found it both funny and a little pitiful for the little creatures.

 

“Little spirits, could you do me a favor?” he called out.

 

The chatter immediately ceased. After a long pause, it resumed—now chaotic and disordered.

 

—Oh no! I actually understood the two-legged creature speaking bird language!

 

—Idiot, that’s a human, not a two-legged beast!

 

—I remember him! He’s with the big monster!

 

—Bad guy!

 

Jing Ling: ???

 

 

Chapter 69

 

 

—Bad guy!

 

—Big bad guy! No, little bad guy!

 

—I knew it! Two-legged beasts are never any good!

 

—Bite him!

 

—No, no! Two-legged beasts are scary. If they catch us, we’ll be eaten! Don’t go near them!

 

Something’s going wrong here! Jing Ling felt an ominous premonition. “I think we need something to cover our heads,” he said.

 

Big Mouth and Watermelon had already thought he was unreliable. Now they just stared at him with an expression like, “You’ve got issues.” Jing Ling wasn’t offended, but he didn’t intend to explain either. Young people only learn after taking a loss. He turned to look at Song Xiuyuan beside him. “Can you give me a hand?” The latter happened to be looking at him too. Upon hearing the request, he raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded. Then, with long strides, he came over to Jing Ling, swiftly took off his long coat, flipped it by the collar, and directly draped it over both of their heads.

 

Big Mouth: “…Goddamn idiot!”

 

Watermelon kicked him but didn’t argue.

 

Above their heads, the birds were chirping away—one, two, three… Once their numbers passed a certain threshold, what had been crisp and pleasant chirping became an unbearably shrill racket.

 

—So angry, so angry, so angry! I just wanna bite him!

 

—I got it! Poop on him!

 

—That’s a great idea!

 

—Agreed!

 

“They’re coming,” Jing Ling said.

 

“What—” Big Mouth reflexively started to ask, but before he could finish, something landed on his head. A warm, wet sensation spread instantly. And that was just the beginning. The flapping of wings erupted overhead as countless birds burst out from the thick branches and leaves, circling above with flapping wings and loud chirps. A barrage of biological bombs rained down from above, splattering everywhere they could land.

 

In just a few seconds, Big Mouth and Watermelon were coated in a steaming layer of bird poop. The stench aggressively filled their nostrils.

 

Jing Ling and Song Xiuyuan were better prepared, but a single trench coat was barely enough to cover two grown men, so some droppings inevitably landed on them as well. The bird poop hit the coat over their heads with a wet splat, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

 

Big Mouth snapped out of it and started cursing, pulling out a weapon from his gear, ready to fight.

 

“Don’t hurt them!” Jing Ling’s hands were inconvenient, so he directly lifted his leg and kicked, hitting Big Mouth right on the wrist. The weapon flew out of his hand and landed in the grass with a soft thud.

 

Already furious, Big Mouth was enraged by Jing Ling’s sudden move. It was like adding fuel to the fire. He ignored the fact that Jing Ling was injured and started swinging.

 

“Damn it! You’ve lost your mind!” he shouted.

 

“Sorry. I still need their help later, so you can’t hurt them.” Jing Ling only defended himself. He kept his head under the coat, and with his injuries and limited mobility, he inevitably fell on the back foot.

 

The rain of bird poop finally stopped. The birds that had been circling above retreated back to the treetops, chirping away in a new round of chatter.

 

—Oh wow, the two-legged beasts are fighting!

 

—They’re really fighting!

 

—I saw it! That one was holding something scary! That’s what killed Big Bear!

 

—The big bad guy stopped him!

 

—Hmm, maybe the big bad guy isn’t that bad after all!

 

Big Mouth had a hot temper, while Watermelon was more of a calm type—they complemented each other. Sure enough, Watermelon quickly stepped in to stop him. “Big Mouth, calm down. Did you forget what the higher-ups told us before we left?”

 

Before coming from the Imperial Capital, they had been instructed to follow the other party’s arrangements for this operation. They didn’t need to worry about finding the target; their job was to capture him once he was located. Obeying orders was a soldier’s duty. Hearing this, Big Mouth instantly calmed down. His movements stopped, though he was still disgruntled. He stiffly muttered an apology, then turned to bend over and search for his weapon in the grass.

 

“Big Mouth’s just like that…” Watermelon began to explain.

 

Jing Ling cut him off. “It’s fine. I know there’s a river ahead. I’ll take you there later.” Then he turned to thank Song Xiuyuan. The latter shook his head. “No need.” He spoke as he casually tossed the trench coat into a nearby bush with an expression of disdain.

 

Jing Ling looked up toward the canopy above. The trees here were already dense, branches tangled and leaves thick and green. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in beams, with visible dust motes floating within. There were few birds visible, but he knew—they were all still there.

 

“My little darlings, you feel better now, right? Could you help me find someone? If you do, I’ll build you little houses in the trees to keep out the wind and rain. How’s that sound?”

 

—Wow, this two-legged beast actually speaks bird!

 

—He called us little darlings (ω)

 

—He looks a tiny bit better than the other two-legged beasts!

 

—The one next to him is also good-looking!

 

—Little houses, little houses! I want one! I used to have one, it was so nice!

 

Jing Ling never imagined that this bunch of little things had such lively minds. They blushed, critiqued people’s looks, and even started debating bird—oh, no—bird lives, like what kind of food they ate, what kind of houses they lived in, and which areas were the best. It was astonishing.

 

“What are they saying?” Song Xiuyuan suddenly asked.

 

“They haven’t come to a conclusion yet,” Jing Ling shrugged. He had already expected Song Xiuyuan to ask—he had long suspected he might be from the Eastern Song family, and now he could confirm it. The five major families operated in different areas, but had never completely cut ties.

 

As for Big Mouth and Watermelon, they were probably still too sour from earlier to say anything now.

 

Jing Ling didn’t rush them. He found an exposed tree root just outside the bird poop range and sat down to wait patiently for the little ones to reach a consensus. But when he noticed their discussions were going wildly off-topic, he had to speak up and redirect them.

 

And so he waited for over twenty minutes. During that time, the birds never stopped chirping—it had rhythm, almost like a real conversation.

 

“They’ve agreed.” Just as Big Mouth and Watermelon were about to be overwhelmed by the stink, Jing Ling finally spoke. “Do you have a photo?” he asked the others.

 

Song Xiuyuan handed him one almost before the question finished. It was a black-and-white image clipped from surveillance footage, blurry and hard to make out. The suspect was circled in red, but it was just a silhouette—you couldn’t even see his face. Even for a human, identifying someone from this would be difficult, let alone for a bird.

 

“Just describe him directly,” Jing Ling said, giving up on the useless photo.

 

“The suspect is male, about forty years old, between 1.7 and 1.8 meters tall. On the day of the crime, he was wearing a gray casual outfit…” Song Xiuyuan recited like a report.

 

Jing Ling picked out the useful parts and relayed them to the birds in the forest.

 

“All right, go find him. I’ll wait by the creek,” Jing Ling said.

 

In an endless forest, trying to find someone’s trace—aside from pure luck—your best helpers were undoubtedly the birds. They were everywhere, in great variety and number, and wouldn’t raise the target’s suspicion at all.

 

The sound of wings flapping grew even louder than before. The birds all took flight from the trees, circled once overhead, then swooped down and flew around Jing Ling before dispersing in all directions. A few mischievous ones landed on his head and shoulders. The ones behind followed suit. By the time all the birds had flown off, the hair that Shen Ze had carefully styled for him had completely turned into a bird’s nest.

 

Big Mouth and Watermelon couldn’t help laughing. Even Song Xiuyuan, who always wore a cold expression, looked a bit more relaxed.

 

Waiting for results took time, and they couldn’t stay in poop-smeared clothes the whole time. Even if Big Mouth and Watermelon could endure it, Jing Ling couldn’t—his sensitive nose made it a real torment.

 

The group headed to the creek.

 

There was no path in the forest, so they had to make one manually. By the time they reached the creek, nearly half an hour had passed. Seeing the flowing water, Watermelon and Big Mouth jumped right in, diving completely underwater to let the current wash the bird poop off their clothes. They stayed submerged for over a minute before surfacing, stripped off their tops, and stood waist-deep in the stream, roughly scrubbing their clothes. Their thick brows furrowed as if they could crush a fly.

 

The birds were faster than Jing Ling expected. Shortly after Big Mouth and Watermelon laid their washed clothes on rocks to dry, a few little birds fluttered back and landed on Jing Ling’s shoulders, chirping away.

 

“Did they find him?” Big Mouth and Watermelon asked in unison, shirtless and leaning in.

 

Song Xiuyuan also looked over. Jing Ling exchanged a subtle glance with him, then shook his head. “No, they’re going farther out to search.”

 

The two were a little disappointed, but there was nothing to be done. It wasn’t like they could just wander around the forest aimlessly. All they could do was wait. And so they waited… until night fell. During the day, the forest temperature was manageable with sunlight, but by dusk, it began to drop.

 

They would have to spend the night in the forest.

 

The group found a cave nearby. It was spacious and relatively dry. Big Mouth went out to collect firewood, dug a pit, stuffed it with dry leaves, and built a small fire. With a flick of a lighter, flames leapt up.

 

The warm firelight lit up the entire cave.

 

After a light meal and a bit of chatting, they prepared to sleep. Just in case, they split into two shifts for night watch: Jing Ling and Song Xiuyuan took the first half, Big Mouth and Watermelon the second. The latter two went to sleep first, but when their turn came to take over, they found the two men who were supposed to be at the cave entrance had vanished. Hoping for the best, they searched the area—but sure enough, they couldn’t find them. What they did find was a piece of paper pressed under a rock. A line written in charcoal read: “Night stroll in the forest. Back soon. Don’t worry.”

 

“Stroll my ass! I knew those two weren’t good news—birds of a feather!” Big Mouth read it, crumpled the paper into a ball, and tossed it straight into the fire.

 

 

Chapter 70

 

 

The reason written on the note left behind in the cave was something even Jing Ling himself didn’t believe. Deep in the remote mountains and dense forests, with two grown men—what kind of night stroll was that supposed to be? But in any case, they were leaving, and Big Mouth and Watermelon wouldn’t believe any excuse anyway, so it made no difference what reason they gave.

 

At dusk, just before the sun set, the third batch of birds brought back news—they had found the target’s tracks. It had been less than a day since the demon entered the mountains. The terrain of Mount Changchu was already rugged and complex, and with wild animals frequently appearing deep in the forest, unless he had a death wish, he definitely wouldn’t keep going deeper, but would hover within a certain range. That’s why the birds throughout the forest could easily find him.

 

With the two previous failures, this time Big Mouth didn’t even ask and jumped to a conclusion directly: “Didn’t find him again, huh!” If not for the ominously timed downpour of bird droppings and the overwhelming spectacle of a hundred birds flying toward one direction, they wouldn’t have believed so easily that Jing Ling could communicate with animals. Once they came back to their senses, the two started to doubt and even privately considered applying to have a police dog dispatched to assist with the mission.

 

Jing Ling didn’t bother to explain and just nodded along, “Mm, didn’t find him.” It wasn’t that he was angry at the two of them—he and Song Xiuyuan had already reached a private agreement.

 

The demon had killed so many people over the years, each death more horrific than the last. Zhang Qiaoqiao’s father had heard his daughter being tortured to death over the phone—the shrill, tragic screams became an unshakable lifelong nightmare. Gao Wei had been boiled alive like a frog in a lab, gradually cooked by rising water temperature. His father arrived with help just minutes after his death—almost in time to save him. Because of that, Gao’s father was tormented not only by pain but also by the silent blame from his relatives, to the point of near collapse. Then there was the ship captain’s son—even if he hadn’t made that phone call, his son would’ve eventually died of gas poisoning. But because he called out of concern for his son’s safety, he had unknowingly ended his child’s life with his own hands…

 

There’s a saying that even killing should be done with a bit of mercy. But what about the demon? He severed people in half, dismembered them, tortured them slowly, cooked them alive, blew them up… not even a single intact corpse was ever left behind. A man like that—after being caught, all he’d get was handcuffs, a courtroom trial, a death sentence, and then… one bullet to end it all.

 

Why should he get to die so easily?

 

Of course, Jing Ling considered himself a law-abiding citizen who would never take the law into his own hands. But if a suspect fled into the deep forest, and before being brought to justice happened to be frightened to death by something—well, that wasn’t anyone else’s fault, was it?

 

Big Mouth and Watermelon were government people, and it was hard to predict how they’d react. So to avoid trouble, Jing Ling and Song Xiuyuan simply left a note and left the team.

 

Yang Feng had stayed in the forest of Mount Changchu for a night and a day. On the surface, it looked like he’d fled there in panic while being chased by the police. But in fact, he had already anticipated this outcome before committing the crime. He had chosen Mount Changchu as his retreat and brought essential survival gear and enough compressed food to last several days.

 

Inside the spacious cave, a bed of dried grass was laid out in a corner. Not far away, a fire was lit, and its bright glow cast a touch of warmth onto the cold stone walls. Over the fire, three branches formed a simple frame. A small stainless steel pot, with wires wrapped around its two handles, hung suspended above the flames. The water inside was already boiling, mushrooms bobbing to the surface with the bubbles, releasing a light fragrance into the air. 

 

Three small birds were also being roasted nearby, skewered on branches and stuck slantwise into the ground, sizzling with dripping oil.

 

Yang Feng scooped out half a ladle of soup, brought it to his lips and blew on it, then drank it. The hot soup slid down his throat and warmed his entire body from the inside out. The bird meat was already cooked—just a few grains of salt made it a deliciously tender meal.

 

His expression was relaxed and comfortable; even in terms of food, he didn’t compromise at all.

 

This didn’t look like someone on the run—it was more like a wilderness retreat.

 

He ate slowly, exuding refinement from head to toe—just like his profession.

 

Yang Feng was a university professor, teaching advanced mathematics. At school, he always wore well-fitted suits and gold-rimmed glasses, with a polite smile on his face. Among students, he had a great reputation: he took attendance at regular times, gave generous grades during the semester, and not only highlighted key points before exams but also graded leniently—almost no one ever failed his class. If someone sincerely wanted to learn and asked questions, he’d patiently explain.

 

Born in 1978, he was thirty-five and unmarried. His features were quite handsome, and paired with his scholarly demeanor and his prime age, many girls at school swooned over his suit pants and privately referred to him as their male god.

 

And not just at school—neighbors and acquaintances also spoke highly of him. The number of people trying to set him up far exceeded what could be counted on two hands.

 

How could anyone associate such a successful, family-ready man with a twisted serial killer?

 

Yet he was one. He committed his first murder fifteen years ago, when he was only twenty, still in university.

 

“Chirp… chirp chirp…” Birdsong echoed from outside the cave. Then came the sound of dry leaves being stepped on—soft but rhythmic. It didn’t sound like an animal. Which meant it had to be a person.

 

Yang Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, touched the hand crossbow hidden in his sleeve, and calmly continued cleaning up his utensils.

 

“Click—click—” A trap was triggered, but there was no scream.

 

Only then did he stop what he was doing, stood up, and took position at the most advantageous spot, waiting for his opponent to arrive. After a few seconds, two figures appeared at the mouth of the cave, stepping from the darkness of night into the light, revealing tall, upright builds. But to Yang Feng’s surprise, neither wore police uniforms, and from their posture and expressions, they didn’t seem like law enforcement. One of them was even injured, both arms in casts.

 

Where Yang Feng stood was actually a blind spot in the cave, but the two spotted him immediately upon entering. A few steps later, both sides clearly saw each other.

 

“Hello.” The young man with both arms in casts was the first to speak, even smiling a little—though the smile looked stiff. His companion, on the other hand, stared at Yang Feng coldly, hatred written plainly on his face.

 

At that moment, Yang Feng understood that even if these two weren’t police, they were still his enemies. Yet he calmly replied, “Hello.”

 

“You’re the demon, right?” the young man with the casts asked naturally. “I want to know your motive for killing. Can we talk?”

 

What an interesting person. Yang Feng chuckled. “Sure. Have a seat.” He spoke like a host welcoming guests into his home, though he didn’t move at all. Never turn your back on the enemy—that was a basic rule. And the others clearly understood this too. In the end, both sides moved around each other and sat by the fire, face to face, as if old friends having a heartfelt conversation.

 

“I’ve got quite a few works. Which one do you want to know about?” Yang Feng poked at the fire as he spoke. As soon as his voice fell, the young man who hated him snapped, “Zhang Qiaoqiao.”

 

“That cute little girl.” Even though years had passed, he remembered each of his works clearly—no prompts needed. “What’s your relationship with her? When she was alive, her only family left were her grandfather and father. Not long after her death, the old man died of grief. As for her father, Zhang Heng—I’ve met him. You don’t look a thing like him.”

 

“Are you just a justice-driven bystander?” he muttered to himself. “But it doesn’t matter. Since you want to hear it, I’ll tell it.”

 

Yang Feng’s background wasn’t good—not even average, let alone middle class. From as far back as he could remember, he’d never seen his mother; it was his father who raised him. But when he was young, he had plenty of playmates—or rather, they were his slaves. There were boys and girls, some with soft skin and clear signs of good upbringing, others with rough skin and callused hands. There were also young girls of marrying age. All of them had their hands and feet tied and were locked in a windowless room with a single iron door. They were fed just one meal a day—leftovers.

 

Yes, his father was a human trafficker—and a middleman, at that. He’d buy the “goods” from others and then sell them to the next buyer. They lived in a village of only about twenty households, and everyone there did the same business.

 

Back then, communication and transportation were underdeveloped. Their village was deep in the mountains, with long, rugged roads—even the local government didn’t know the place existed. The village kept a few big dogs, fed far better than the captives—because some people tried to escape. Those dogs were trained to hunt them down—accurately. No one ever got away.

 

The captured were sorted into valuable and not. The valuable ones got a savage beating to scare them into submission. The worthless ones were killed on the spot—an example to the rest. Their bodies were thrown out to feed the dogs.

 

Many nights, Yang Feng was awakened by the noise. At first, the girls’ screams terrified him into sleeplessness, but he gradually got used to it. He’d crouch by the door, peeking through the cracks into the oil-lit room next door. His father and the village men stood around the bed, naked. On the bed lay a completely nude girl, face down.

 

One time, his legs went numb from squatting. When he stood up, he accidentally bumped into the door, and the creaky wood let out a sharp sound. The people next door paused, then came over and found him hiding.

 

“You brat, not even grown your fuzz yet and already eavesdropping! Hahaha, no wonder—you’re your father’s son!”

 

He was only six at the time—he didn’t understand anything. Yet unknowingly, he had already committed countless crimes—becoming an accomplice. Only later in university did he learn that criminal behavior could be genetic. Every time he thought of what his father and neighbors did, he didn’t feel disgust or shame—he felt a rush of excitement.

 

Those evils condemned by society were like a drug—addictive and all-consuming.

 

If not for the accident that happened later, he probably would have inherited his father’s profession—and taken it even further.