When Fang Xiu's consciousness snapped back to reality, he quickly shifted back into his disguise as Wen Yang. Tucking Xiao Chuxia safely in his pocket, he made his way to the area where the prisoners were kept.
A short while later, he led the psychic—who had taken on his own appearance—into a waiting car.
According to Yan Changshou's plan, the real Wen Yang was supposed to escort this imposter Fang Xiu back to the hotel, where they would lie low until the time came to assassinate the headquarters director the next day.
The car sped toward the hotel.
As soon as they found themselves on a deserted stretch of road, Fang Xiu's black hair shimmered, shifting into long, silvery strands.
In a flash, the hair pierced the psychic impersonating him. The poor psychic never saw it coming. He was only second-tier, with a transformation ability that gave him more confidence than combat skills. He had fully trusted that Wen Yang was driving, leaving him wide open to Fang Xiu's deadly strike.
After eliminating the psychic, Fang Xiu absorbed his Spiritual Energy and gently pulled Xiao Chuxia out of his pocket.
"Your turn to become me," he said with a calm tone. "I'll take you back to the hotel."
Xiao Chuxia's eyes lingered on Fang Xiu, a whirlpool of emotions brewing within her. She had no clue what Fang Xiu had been up to all night, but it was clear he was working on something massive, something hidden.
She couldn't shake the feeling that she was stuck on a ship with no way off now. Eventually, she sighed, morphed into Fang Xiu's likeness, and let him escort her back to the hotel.
With that done, Fang Xiu, still in his Wen Yang disguise, hopped into another car, this time heading straight for the headquarters. But he wasn't behind the wheel; one of Wen Yang's subordinates handled the driving since Fang Xiu didn't know the exact location of the headquarters.
The subordinate didn't question their destination. After all, Wen Yang had captured Fang Xiu earlier, so it seemed natural for him to need to file a report at the headquarters.
Half an hour later, they pulled up to a secret military zone. High walls, electric fences, and armed soldiers on patrol made the place look like a fortress.
Wen Yang's subordinate guided them through a maze of security checks until they finally entered the heart of the headquarters.
"Wait here. I've got a report to make," Fang Xiu instructed, his tone firm but casual.
The subordinate nodded, lighting a cigarette and leaning against the car.
This was Fang Xiu's first time inside the headquarters. It wasn't as grand as he had imagined—just a regular office space, albeit a massive one. But what really caught his attention was the intense security: state-of-the-art surveillance tech was everywhere, along with mysterious Mind Steel runes that Fang Xiu couldn't decipher.
Despite the late hour, the place buzzed with activity. Through the glass walls, Fang Xiu saw operators sifting through files, coordinating with psychics on the front lines.
Specter incidents didn't care about the time of day, and the headquarters had to keep the nation's psychics in line, so the workload never seemed to stop.
As he walked, Fang Xiu exchanged nods with a few colleagues who greeted him along the way.
When the crowd thinned, he casually stopped someone. "Is the Director still around?"
"Yeah, he's in his office," came the quick reply.
With the Director's location pinned down, Fang Xiu started navigating the labyrinth that was the headquarters, intent on finding the Director's office.
Fortunately, the Director's office stood out, so Fang Xiu found it with ease. As he neared the door, a deep male voice, steady and firm, filtered through, indicating someone was on the phone inside.
Fang Xiu paused to sense the surroundings and noted something odd: only one person seemed to be inside. With a slight frown, he knocked.
"Come in," the voice called out from within.
Fang Xiu pushed the door open, his eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and caution. To his surprise, there were two people in the room, not one.
The office was spacious, with a middle-aged man seated behind a large desk, dressed in a traditional Zhongshan suit. Beside him stood a young man in a combat uniform, his posture stiff and his gaze intense.
The younger man's expression was cold. His eyes, sharp like a predator's, was locked onto Fang Xiu the moment he walked in.
Fang Xiu instantly sensed the young man was dangerous—likely one of the top psychics in the country.
It didn't take long for Fang Xiu to piece things together. The man in the Zhongshan suit had to be the Director of the Investigation Bureau the headquarters, and the stern young man next to him was probably Xiao Zhenhua, also known as "the All Equal," one of the few fourth-tier psychics besides the five captains.
Yan Changshou had mentioned these powerhouses, highlighting two in particular: Fang Moli, Asia's top psychic who wielded the Xuanyuan Sword, and Xiao Zhenhua, the one standing before him now.
The fact that Fang Xiu hadn't sensed Xiao Zhenhua's presence before entering the room spoke volumes about the man's formidable abilities.
"Wen Yang, here to report on the Fang Xiu situation, right? I've already heard the details. You managed it well—just give him a light warning," the Director said, his tone calm but with an underlying weariness. Clearly, the weight of his responsibilities took its toll.
With the rise in Specter incidents, overseeing all psychics and Specter cases across the nation was no small feat, especially for someone without any special powers.
"Tell me briefly what happened. Why did Sun Dehua provoke Fang Xiu in the middle of the night when they had no prior conflict?" the Director asked, his gaze fixed on "Wen Yang" as he waited for an explanation.
But what Fang Xiu said next caught them completely off guard.
"So you're the Director of the headquarters?" Fang Xiu asked bluntly.
Before the Director could respond, Xiao Zhenhua's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're not Wen Yang! Who are you?" he barked, his voice laced with suspicion.
In that instant, a powerful energy surged from Xiao Zhenhua, crashing down on Fang Xiu like a tidal wave.
Fang Xiu's eyes widened as he felt his Spiritual Energy drain away, leaving him powerless. Even his Specter abilities were suddenly inaccessible, as if he had been injected with a suppressant.
This was Xiao Zhenhua's domain, known as "All Equal." It had the terrifying ability to strip away all powers, rendering even the strongest psychics defenseless.
No wonder Yan Changshou feared him.
Fang Xiu had a guess that the suppressants used on psychics were likely developed based on the principles of "All Equal."
As Xiao Zhenhua's power took hold, Fang Xiu's disguise began to unravel. Wen Yang's face slowly dissolved, revealing Fang Xiu's true identity.
"You're Fang Xiu?" the Director recognized him immediately. Given his position, he was well aware of the rising star among psychics—Fang Xiu, the second-tier psychic who had recently tackled a Grade-S Specter event.
"Yes, that's me," Fang Xiu confirmed with a nod.
With Fang Xiu's admission, the Director's frown deepened, his mind clearly racing to figure out why Fang Xiu had shown up in the middle of the night.
After a tense moment, the Director's expression softened, and he offered a warm smile. "Mr. Fang, you've come at a late hour. What brings you here?"
"I've seen the fall of the headquarters in the future," Fang Xiu replied, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of the most shocking news imaginable.