Chapter 067: Too Fierce

"I don't need you to tell me that—I was going to look for them anyway," the burly man growled, his voice thick with resentment. "The problem is, we don't know who they are, how many there are, what they look like, whether they're male or female—absolutely nothing! Not a single clue!"

"True, clues are scarce," the middle-aged man replied, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "but as long as we figure out their motive, we can still find them."

"What do you mean?" The burly man frowned. "You're not about to tell me they're from the Security Bureau, are you?"

"If only they were from the Security Bureau," the middle-aged man shook his head. "Based on my deduction, there's a ninety-nine percent chance that this killer isn't with the Bureau. If he were, the number of dead today wouldn't be a dozen—it would be dozens!"

"Then who could it be?" the burly man pressed.

"I don't know who, but as I said, once we understand their goal, we can counterattack effectively." The middle-aged man’s lips curled into a grim smile. "Commander Lang, haven't you noticed? In just one day, the killer hit three of our safehouses, all in the Eastern District! Our group assigned your men to over a dozen locations in the Eastern District. Excluding those discovered and destroyed by the Security Bureau, there are still seven safehouses left! Commander Lang, given the killer's actions today, do you think he’ll stop, or will he go for the rest?"

"You're saying their goal is to wipe us all out?" The burly man’s fury flared.

"Exactly," the middle-aged man answered coolly. "Their purpose is to kill every last one of you."

"Bastard!" The burly man's eyes reddened instantly as murderous intent and malice erupted from him, his terrifying aura sweeping over the entire meeting room.

"Calm yourself, Commander Lang." The middle-aged man radiated a faint golden glow, untouched by the pressure. "The killer knows exactly who you are. To finish you off personally, he hasn’t even informed the Security Bureau. He might be operating alone, or it could be a team. Either way, now that they know your hiding places, you can be sure more assassinations are coming! What we need to do is wait for them to walk right into our trap."

"In other words, lie in wait like a hunter at a rabbit hole?" The burly man pondered.

"Precisely, just like that."

...

Eastern District Savage Beast Exhibition Hall.

It was only just opening for the day when Tang Mubai, wearing a baseball cap, blended into the crowd streaming through the gates.

In the new world, there were no zoos, aquariums, or botanical gardens for recreation. Instead, there were venues like the Savage Beast Hall and Giant Insect Pavilion, where people could learn about non-human lifeforms in the flesh.

These savage beasts and giant insects had been turned into specimens and sealed in glass cases for public viewing. Both ordinary people and martial artists were welcome to visit. Whenever a new species appeared, the exhibits were updated.

Three days ago, the Eastern District Savage Beast Exhibition Hall had announced a new species on display. As a result, a sizable crowd gathered at the entrance early in the morning.

Just like Tang Mubai, several others wore baseball caps and carried cameras around their necks. Mingling with the flow of people, Tang Mubai wandered the halls like everyone else.

Passing by a lean, wiry security guard, he was just about to release his aura to probe the area when his heart gave a sudden jolt.

A formless sense of danger surged up from his gut.

"An ambush?" Tang Mubai was startled, though he kept his expression unchanged. Under the guard’s suspicious gaze, he strolled along at a leisurely pace, pretending to admire the displays.

A few moments later, he followed two people who had to leave unexpectedly, slipping out through the main entrance. Only after he had walked a full block and felt the ominous sense of danger fade did he duck into a small alley and let out a long, relieved breath.

"There's an ambush at the Savage Beast Hall? Yesterday, I struck three safehouses and caught the Red Lake Group's attention. So today, they've sent top enforcers to set a trap?" Tang Mubai quickly pieced it together.

Only a half-step grandmaster, or perhaps a full grandmaster, could give him such a sense of danger!

The Red Lake Group had gone all in, even dispatching grandmasters for the ambush. And likely, top-tier half-beast fighters had joined as well.

"Are there experts waiting at each of the remaining four safehouses?"

Tang Mubai was skeptical. Emerging from the alley, he drove to the next location.

The Decorations City!

This five-story complex covered a vast area. After arriving, Tang Mubai mingled with the shoppers, occasionally stepping into stores to ask about prices.

When he finally entered his target shop, he started a conversation with the proprietor about lighting fixtures. Four employees busied themselves nearby.

He waited ten minutes. With no other customers and his senses fully extended to confirm no one else was approaching, Tang Mubai risked releasing his aura. This time, no danger descended.

Without further concealment, he unleashed his power, enveloping the entire shop and freezing the proprietor and employees in place.

"You—"

Bang!

With a howl of wind, Tang Mubai’s fist, laced with fierce energy, struck the owner’s chest before he could utter a word, shattering his heart in an instant.

The four employees met the same fate—Tang Mubai flashed from one to the next, delivering a single blow to each. None even had time to transform before dropping dead, eyes wide open in shock.

[Life force detected. Recycle?]

"Yes!"

[Life force +168]
[Life force +172]
[Life force +159]
[Life force +180]
[Life force +174]
...

Another successful harvest.

Retracting his aura, Tang Mubai removed the "bone bead" from the proprietor’s neck. Then he arranged the bodies, seating or draping them as naturally as possible so that they appeared to be resting rather than dead at first glance.

Once satisfied, he powered up the computer and deleted all surveillance footage that showed him.

At last, he dusted off his hands and strolled out of the shop at a leisurely pace.

He lingered in Decorations City for the rest of the morning before heading to Food Street.

One of the stalls on Food Street was also among the seven safehouses.

With nine bone beads now in hand, Tang Mubai needed just one more to complete his set.

The Red Lake Group and the half-beasts had already sent their top fighters to lie in wait for him. If he kept going, there was a real risk of getting caught—and bringing disaster to his family.

So, upon arriving at Food Street, Tang Mubai was exceptionally cautious. Sampling dishes from stall to stall, he finally reached his target. A young woman working there wore a familiar string around her neck, and her appearance matched the photo he’d seen exactly. Listening carefully to her heartbeat, he confirmed she was indeed a half-beast.

Suddenly, he lunged forward, seized her in an embrace, and planted a kiss on her cheek. In that flash, while snatching the bone bead, he released the last wisp of poison he’d been saving, splitting it and letting half coil around her mouth and nose.

Caught off guard, the young woman instinctively inhaled a trace of the toxin and froze in place.

With his "sneak kiss" a success, Tang Mubai let out a gleeful whoop and bolted off with the bone bead in hand.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the crowd.

It was a moment before the people at the neighboring stalls and passersby recovered from their shock, and then the street erupted in uproar.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! That guy’s insane! He just kissed a beauty right in public!"