Chapter 137: Covert War: Part 2
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Ironfist Society? Murder? I’m sorry. If you have no authorization in writing, I’m afraid I cannot divulge anything to you.” Shad shook his head. “Besides, this is now a crime scene, and the police have sealed off the premise. How the hell did you get in here?”
Dao Ling did not answer. A cautious expression rose on his face. He spun around suddenly, swinging his elbow back at the same time and hitting a shadow that came out of thin air. As the golden glow of sacred power flashed in his eyes, every muscle of his body sprang into action, and he whisked a chop to the shadow with his hand. The protection of Ashen Seal-Sanctuary enabled him to confront the enemy head-on with no hesitation. The Ashen Seal could withstand multiple low impact force, protecting him from possible injury.
Unable to respond in time, the shadow was struck hard on the head with his skull rupturing violently. Green blood spattered everywhere as the body of the shadow dropped dead on the floor. Only then, Shad and the others began to see the figure clearly. It was a skinny yet massive mantis with the height of a human. Its two round black eyeballs, which exuded a sense of violence, were still rolling back and forth.
Dao Ling retracted his hand and carefully studied the bodies of the jumbo mantis on the floor. This was also his very first time encountering this type of monster. “This thing was fast, its body was riddled with poisonous spikes. Had it not been for the protection of Ashen Seal-Sanctuary, I would have been injured, or dead.” It was only then that fear began to fill him.
“This thing is not human!” The police officer behind Shad yelled in fear.
“Stop it!” Shad had seen plenty of strange things in his life. Now, seeing the strange, dead creature on the floor, he knew that he had been dragged into a supernatural case again.
“Can we talk now?” Dao Ling looked at Shad.
With so many murder cases taking place, Lin Sheng had to let Sarroux call his home, making the lie that he was staying at Sarroux’s place. Even Sarroux’s dad had played a sidekick role in the fib. At last, he got a three-day leave.
After summoning the four helpers, Lin Sheng quickly sent out two of them to join in the search and skill operation in the city. The other two soldiers were tasked with the duty of patrolling the immediate vicinity of Ironfist Society. This was necessary because there were still many disciples of Ironfist Society here.
Very quickly, the first day had passed. Murders had skyrocketed to five cases in just one day. Things had come utterly out-of-control that cover-up was no longer possible. Those mantis monsters seemed to have gone into a killing frenzy, randomly killing residents in the city. Despite the joint effort of Dao Ling, Crow, and the two vault guards to hunt down those mantises, they were still unable to trace their trails. The killing of the three mantises was purely chance encounters.
So, Lin Sheng decided to use another tactic. He sent a crow flying over the city, and this method worked; they quickly found the mantises. Crow, the Blackfeather swordsman, and two vault guards quickly turned into plumes of black smoke as they were dispatched to kill six mantises with surgical precision. At last, they successfully suppressed the vicious murder frenzy in Huaisha.
But things had not ended yet. What surprised Lin Sheng was that not only the mantis monsters did not feel fear, they had also begun to focus their attention on attacking Dao Ling and the other three. Even the number of mantis monsters was more than what Lin Sheng had expected.
At nightfall on the second day, ten mantises had appeared and launched a concerted assault on Dao Ling and the other three. But Lin Sheng stayed put. He remained in Ironfist Society, keeping tabs on the situation of the four through the phone. If Dao Ling could not even handle this challenge, he would not be qualified as Lin Sheng’s disciple. What Lin Sheng needed were helpers, not burdens.
As the steamy greenish tea was poured from the spout of a pot into the white jade-like ceramic cups, the faintly pleasing aroma of the tea began to pervade the meditation room of the society.
With a calm and composed demeanor, Lin Sheng sat face to face with Sarroux, who was now showing a lot more patience compared to last time despite the anxious expression on his face. At least, he began to have the composure of an acting president when he sat there. Wayne sat silently and breathed steadily as he lifted up a cup to savor the tea slowly.
“Big brother, why are we still sitting here? Shouldn’t we do something?” Sarroux was not happy with the situation.
“What do you want to do? What can you do?” Lin Sheng glanced up at him. “Your physique will still remain that of an ordinary human if you haven’t attained supernatural. All you could do is flee or get your head crushed if you encounter the monster.”
Sarroux was speechless instantly.
“President Lin, we will know the outcome by tonight, perhaps?” It seemed that Wayne had figured out something.
“Perhaps.” Lin Sheng smiled. He kept his finger on the pulse of the hunting of the mantises through Crow and the vault guards. He knew very well that those mantises had gone frenzied. The encirclement from the Ironfist Society had inflicted a heavy casualty on them. Those mantises would not remain a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered. In fact, they were launching a counterattack on the four Ironfist hunters.
“I have sent all the disciples home. We are the only ones here.” Lin Sheng reached to take the teacup in his hand, carefully observing the color of the tea but not drinking it.
“If the information is correct, the mantises are indeed intelligent and revengeful. Their attack on me is a clear indication.” Wayne nodded in agreement. “Evacuation of civilians is the best option. At least, this will reduce unnecessary casualty to the minimum.”
“By right, you two should evacuate too,” Lin Sheng put down his teacup, “but Sarroux’s health and Mr. Wayne’s situation are unique; it is safer to stay here than going home.”
Wayne nodded again but said nothing. He had figured out part of Lin Sheng’s plan.
Another half an hour had passed, and finally, Lin Sheng was making his next move. He took his teacup and flushed the tea down his throat. “Get some good rest. It might get a little noisy afterward, but stay put.”
“Big Brother—” Just as Sarroux wanted to say something, his dad reached to press his hand on his head, trying to stop him. But his dad was too feeble, and Sarroux stubbornly insisted on getting up. His dad could do nothing about him.
“Sarroux, there is no shame to stay alive.” Lin Sheng rose to his feet. “Go and take a rest. You are too weak now.”
Too weak? A shockwave spread through his mind, and Sarroux seemed to have finally figured out something. He gritted his teeth angrily with his head lowered. “I got it. I will make sure I will not be absent next time!” He clenched his fists irascibly. As an acting president, all he could do was hiding in the room while his Big Brother and Dao Ling were fighting like a man on the outside all because he was too weak. Perhaps, what happened tonight would be a painfully unforgettable humiliation to the oversized ego of Sarroux.
Lin Sheng pushed the door open and strode toward the main hall.
On the roof of a building, Saladin pulled his sword back out from the chest of a mantis monster. He flung the blood from the blade and dusted the cement off his armor. He again transformed into a streak of black smoke and flew in the direction where the crow was pointing.
In front of a bar under the night sky, two tipsy women stood on the roadside, trying to wave down a cab. They were chattering in a low voice, unaware that there was a tall figure sneaking up behind them.
It was a mantis. Slowly and silently, it lunged out from the shadows at the two women. Just at the same time, behind the mantis, a plume of black smoke appeared quietly and quickly materialized to become a Blackfeather swordsman behind the mantis.