Hearing his colleague’s words, the stern and serious member of the Abnormal Affairs Bureau—who hadn’t forgotten their superiors’ orders—replied:
“Then let’s take him down together.”
“Agreed.”
Having reached a consensus, the two members of the Ninghang City Abnormal Affairs Bureau immediately dispelled the protective water barrier and moved to apprehend the young man riding an electric bike in the distance.
Seeing the two superhumans charging straight toward him, the strange young man merely smiled faintly and raised a hand, snapping his fingers lightly.
Watching his gesture, the two bureau members exchanged puzzled looks. They couldn’t understand why he’d make such a seemingly pointless move at this moment.
But just as they were pondering this, a wave of dizziness suddenly overwhelmed them, sending them collapsing to the ground.
“Damn it, what’s happening? It feels like I’ve got a fever or something.”
“Crap, we’ve been hit! This guy’s a superhuman—be careful!”
Feeling the sudden change in their bodies, the two bureau members instantly realized that the strange young man wasn’t an ordinary person but a superhuman. They now understood that his finger-snap had been the trigger for his power.
Seeing the two bureau members lying incapacitated on the ground—thanks to the power granted to him by the Plague Lord—the strange young man had no intention of wasting time. He still had a mission assigned by the cult’s bishop to complete.
After retrieving a 15-centimeter-long dagger from beneath his bike’s seat, he dismounted and strode toward the two fallen agents, intending to finish them off.
Noticing the strange young man approaching with a dagger in hand, the stern-faced bureau member—now lying on the ground, flushed and gasping for breath—realized the dire situation. He tried to raise his hand to manipulate water and block the attacker, but his body, ravaged by the young man’s power, refused to obey. He could only watch helplessly as the assailant closed in.
“Since you’ve ruined our bishop’s plans, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
After uttering these words, the strange young man raised his dagger and aimed for the neck of the more talkative bureau member.
Seeing what was about to happen, the stern agent shut his eyes, unable to bear witnessing his colleague’s death.
But at the critical moment, a golden light streaked down from the sky, hurtling straight toward the strange young man. Sensing the danger, he rolled away just in time, narrowly avoiding being cleaved in two.
“Who are you?”
Crouching on the ground, the strange young man stared at the stunningly beautiful woman who had descended with the golden light. Sensing her overwhelming power, his face twisted in shock and confusion.
Retracting the spiritual sword she had thrown from above, Yan Qi first checked the condition of the two bureau members, confirming they were stable, before turning to the young man with a counter-question:
“Who am I? You really don’t know who I am?”
Frowning, the young man replied in bewilderment:
“Should I?”
“I thought I, the Dao Yan Empress, was famous enough by now. Yet there are still people who don’t recognize me. Seems I need to further boost my reputation.”
After muttering this to herself, Yan Qi paused briefly before continuing:
“Enough digressions. Since you’re here, that means you’re just like the others I’ve encountered—a cultist who’s sold your soul to the abyssal beasts. I have no patience for fanatics like you, so prepare to face judgment.”
Without giving him a chance to react, Yan Qi lunged forward with lightning speed.
The young man instinctively tried to resist with his powers, but the gap in their strength was far too vast. In the blink of an eye, Yan Qi effortlessly subdued him, knocking him unconscious.
Seeing that Yan Qi had dealt with the strange young man, Yan Yu—who had stayed out of the fight on Yan Qi’s orders—hurriedly descended from the sky. Glancing at the two suffering bureau members, she asked:
“Dao Yan, are they going to be alright?”
“I’m not sure. Call the bureau and have them take these two and the cultist away.”
Unfamiliar with the strange power the young man had used, Yan Qi couldn’t guarantee their condition.
Nodding in understanding, Yan Yu quickly contacted the bureau again.
“Alright, they’ll be here soon to collect them.”
“Good. Let’s stick to the original plan.”
“Right.”
Leaving the two bureau members and the heavily injured, unconscious cultist behind, Yan Qi and Yan Yu headed toward the next location where a Flesh Blossom was said to be growing.
…
“Report: Suspected Flesh Blossom growth zone in Beishan District—multiple cultists attempting to breach the bureau’s perimeter blockade.”
“Report: Suspected Flesh Blossom growth zone in Nansha District—cultists have broken through our blockade after inflicting heavy casualties.”
“Report:…”