Chapter 38: The Puppet Master

These fine threads, though not heavy on their own, grew increasingly burdensome as their numbers multiplied above him—just like a bundle of ten chopsticks, the higher they stacked, the greater the resistance. Both the eerie creature from before and the one overhead were detailed in the dossier Li Yue had given him during the day. The first was called the Flesh Slave, while the one above was known as the Puppet Master. These terms served as both their names and their classifications. The delicate strands themselves were called puppet threads—a tool the Puppet Master used not only to manipulate ordinary people, but also to siphon blood essence, and to serve as weapons.

The Blood Prison crept from Gu Changqing’s palm onto his shield, the faces within it wailing in agony, and in a blink, the thick layer of puppet threads coating the shield corroded and dissolved. The Blood Prison then transformed into a giant blood python, coiling and lashing in the air, melting a hole through the dense web of threads above.

Seizing the moment, Gu Changqing vaulted upwards with his shield, leaping straight from the fifth floor to the rooftop. Several puppet threads floated down and brushed against the back of his hand. Instantly, Gu Changqing felt a chill seep into his skin, accompanied by strange, whispering voices trying to invade his mind. If he didn't break free at once, his brain would be numbed by those murmurs and he would lose consciousness.

The Blood Prison immediately covered the back of his hand, the wailing faces within it clashing with the chilling whispers from the threads. Silently, the puppet threads snapped apart.

“Bah!” Gu Changqing spat, glancing left and right.

All he could see was a blanket of white mist and puppet threads, filling the space so densely that visibility ended at ten meters. At the edge of his vision, he spotted someone lying on the ground in a Chiming uniform.

“Monster, die!” Li Tiefeng’s roar cut through the distance, followed by the sounds of collision and something slicing through the air.

Boom!

A battered figure hurtled through countless threads, flying straight at Gu Changqing. Blood spurted from his mouth even in midair, but his grip on his blade never loosened.

Gu Changqing’s first instinct was to dodge, but he remembered this was a comrade—if he stepped aside, the man would fall off the roof. Quick as a flash, he grabbed the man’s arm, spun twice, and dissipated the tremendous force transmitted from Li Tiefeng’s body.

Li Tiefeng spat blood in the air, convinced he was about to be sent crashing to the ground below. To his surprise, someone caught him—and when he focused, it turned out to be Gu Changqing.

There was no time to wonder why Gu Changqing was there. All Li Tiefeng managed was, “Thanks! Watch out!”

Then, before he could react further, Gu Changqing spun him around and hurled him back the way he’d come.

“No need to thank me!” Gu Changqing grinned, kicked off the edge of the rooftop with such force the concrete shattered, and shot forward like a cannonball, following close behind Li Tiefeng.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Li Tiefeng was knocked back again.

Gu Changqing had no time to catch him this time. He drew himself in, then launched forward, finally piercing through the mist and laying eyes on the Puppet Master atop the roof.

Three meters above the rooftop, layer upon layer of puppet threads radiated outward. Suspended above them was half a woman—her upper body bare, indistinguishable from any ordinary person except for the fathomless darkness in her eyes. Below her abdomen, countless puppet threads splayed out to fill the entire space.

Gu Changqing charged forward, shield raised and laughing, but before he reached her, the woman plucked the threads with her fingers. Instantly, the web of puppet threads began to tremble, as if some unknown transformation was occurring.

With another flick of her wrist, cracks spiderwebbed across Gu Changqing’s shield. He could feel the shield vibrating beneath his grip, a tremendous force traveling through it and numbing his arms.

In midair, Gu Changqing twisted his body, his right leg swelling with power as he stomped down on the shield.

Bang!

The shield smashed into the puppet threads, and, as if sliced by myriad blades, shattered instantly. Yet most of the shards were still propelled over a meter toward the half-bodied woman before being deflected.

Behind the fragments of the broken shield, more than a hundred blood threads shot forward like arrows, only to be smashed apart by the dense puppet threads and scattered as a rain of blood.

But in the midst of that crimson rain, five blood threads flashed out, so swift they were nearly invisible, streaking like lightning through the night and mist.

One of them broke through over twenty puppet threads before losing momentum, but the other four skewered the half-bodied woman directly.

A moment later, Gu Changqing felt invisible lashes whipping his body—he had no idea how many times he was struck in that instant, but the blows sent him flying.

He adjusted his posture in midair and landed on his feet, wearing a reckless smile.

At that moment, a blade flashed—a figure, man and blade as one, burst through the mist like a meteor, brushing past Gu Changqing’s side.

“Damn!” He’s stealing my kill? Does being the division chief make him so great?

With a scowl, Gu Changqing snatched a flashbang from his belt, flicked off the safety, waited two seconds, then hurled it at his rival’s back with enough force to rupture the air. Still unsatisfied, he tossed a grenade after it.

...

Gao Wenxin’s blade sliced through the air, severing countless puppet threads as easily as ordinary twine. Her strike lost momentum only two meters from the Puppet Master, but in an instant, she slashed again—a gleam of cold moonlight, beautiful and deadly, cascading down.

Everything within that blade’s reach was reduced to dust.

Even the Puppet Master’s body was covered in a myriad of bloody gashes, but in the blink of an eye, the wounds closed, and threads shot from her body to weave another vast net. All at once, countless puppet threads lashed at Gao Wenxin.

She sneered, ready to strike again, when she sensed something flying toward her from behind. With a swift step, she landed several meters away, raising her blade to slash upward and sever all the attacking threads.

That’s when she saw what was coming—a flashbang.

It was the very one Gu Changqing had confiscated from the police at the Security Bureau earlier.

Gao Wenxin was momentarily stunned, then a surge of anger welled up inside her.

The bastard had clearly thrown the flashbang at her!

Boom!

A blinding flash and deafening roar erupted, followed by a grenade flying her way.

Boom!

Gao Wenxin was almost livid—she’d come to support her team after seeing the signal flare, and this bastard greeted her by bombing her with a flashbang and a grenade?

“Gu Changqing!” Gao Wenxin shouted in fury.

“Chief, you have no right to steal my kill!” Gu Changqing retorted with a cold smile.

Gao Wenxin was even more irritated by that, but she understood what Gu Changqing meant. Looking up at the Puppet Master, she noticed something amiss: her skin was withering, and though some of the grenade wounds were healing, the recovery was noticeably slower.

Gao Wenxin immediately thought of Gu Changqing’s ability.

So he’d already landed a blow!

The Puppet Master continued to pluck her threads, sending unseen ripples toward Gao Wenxin. She raised her blade, shattering the waves with a single stroke, then asked in confusion, “You didn’t fire the signal flare?”

“The other side’s dealt with. I came to help,” Gu Changqing replied, strolling over at a leisurely pace.

Gao Wenxin was momentarily stunned. From the information she’d gathered, both of these were high-level Feather-class anomalies. She’d been prepared to intervene at any moment—mainly because the division’s rookies, restless after months of training, needed to experience the terror of a real anomaly firsthand.

In her estimation, neither team could possibly eliminate both anomalies; if they could so much as see the true forms, it would be impressive enough. She intended to step in as soon as the team leaders signaled for help.

But Gu Changqing was saying he’d already cleared the other anomaly and had come to support here? And this Puppet Master was also about to fall to him?

A strange light glinted in Gao Wenxin’s eyes—Gu Changqing’s ability was bizarre and full of potential... but how long had he even been awakened? Especially with this Puppet Master...

As Gu Changqing approached, the area of withered skin on the Puppet Master’s body grew, and even some of her threads began to snap, drifting away on the night breeze like cobwebs.

Gao Wenxin couldn’t help but look Gu Changqing up and down as he emerged from the mist. He looked a mess—his clothes were shredded, only a few tatters clinging to his legs, and his body was covered in bruises and bloody marks. Yet, for all his disarray, his eyes were sharp and fierce, his tall frame exuding a predatory air, like a hawk or a wolf on the hunt.

Gao Wenxin realized she needed to reassess this new subordinate. For someone who had awakened so recently to eliminate two high-level Feather-class anomalies—this was more than mere potential.

A strange look in her eyes, she asked, “What about Li Tiefeng and the rest of Team One?”

“They probably fell off the roof. No idea if they survived,” Gu Changqing replied, glancing up at the Puppet Master, who was growing ever more withered. This Puppet Master was more troublesome than the Flesh Slave, but she was being refined even faster.

After another seven or eight seconds, the Puppet Master crumbled into a cloud of dust, and dozens of blood threads shot back into Gu Changqing’s palm. Surging blood essence flooded into his hand and was swiftly converted into spiritual energy. As the energy coursed through his body, the bruises and wounds on his skin began to heal.

Watching the blood threads vanish into Gu Changqing’s hand, Gao Wenxin found his ability ever more terrifying. Especially since, after devouring the blood essence of these anomalies, his power would only grow—his growth would surely surpass everyone’s expectations.

Gao Wenxin averted her gaze, moving to the water tower with a leap, her blade flashing up in a crescent arc like a rising moon. The tower split in two with a thunderous crash, yet not a drop of water spilled out.

“Huh?” She was puzzled—the mist sac wasn’t here. The one Gu Changqing had swapped out was left by a Calamity-class Puppet Master.

Gao Wenxin looked around. The dense fog, rooted and unmoving, began to dissipate. So the mist sac had been taken?

As the fog cleared, the rest of the people on the rooftop came into view.

Team One’s members lay sprawled everywhere, while several Guards stood atop the parapet. The sharp-featured man watched Gu Changqing intently.

When Gao Wenxin came to assist, the Guards had followed—partly out of curiosity, partly hoping to reap some reward, since there were two anomalies here.

Thus, he had overheard the exchange between Gu Changqing and Gao Wenxin. He didn’t know all the details... but this kid had taken out two high-level Feather-class anomalies?

If he remembered right, Gu Changqing was the new recruit who’d joined Chiming, the same one Secretary Bai had visited recently...