Bloodshade Fiend? The image of a figure dyed red from head to toe flashed through my mind. I had seen it in Xiao Sanda's memories — it seemed that in the end, Pu Dage had severed its head with a single sword strike. The archives also contained records about the Bloodshade Fiend. It is a vicious and rare mountain Arcanobeast, described in the records as "skin as tough as iron, heart as cunning as a demon."
The Bloodshade Fiend has a distinct characteristic: in its early stage, it is omnivorous and generally does not actively harm humans. However, once it has consumed human flesh for the first time by chance, it can only feed on human flesh thereafter, never returning to its original place in the food chain. The more human flesh it consumes, the redder its skin becomes, and its appearance and bone structure gradually change. Legend has it that when the Bloodshade Fiend's skin reddens to a certain degree, it will be struck dead by heavenly thunder. But at that stage, it is no longer an ordinary Bloodshade Fiend.
While I was lost in thought, the screen behind Director Gao switched to a photo of a badly mutilated human corpse. The body had been gutted, with the internal organs removed, and thick muscle tissue on the chest and thighs was bitten away. Not far from the corpse, a valuable item was discovered — a DSLR camera.
"The corpse was discovered yesterday morning, and the time of death is estimated to be within twelve hours," Gao Liang said, glancing back at the photo on the screen. "The deceased was an art teacher from a nearby school and an amateur photographer. It is presumed he was taking photos on this mountain when he met his unfortunate end."
Gao Liang then made a gesture to Wang Lu, the Bureau's chief secretary, and the screen changed again to a blurred photograph. The picture was so unclear that it showed only a pinkish blur, making it impossible to identify the subject. Gao Liang continued, "This is the last photo the victim took. It appears that he died while taking this picture."
He paused briefly after taking a sip of water, then resumed: "The Bureau has analyzed the photo and concluded that this is indeed the Bloodshade Fiend, but we cannot yet determine its exact stage of development. After feeding on humans, the Bloodshade Fiend becomes addicted to human flesh like a drug addict. Fortunately, the intervals between its feeds are very long — it will not attack again within 24 hours after feeding."
"The site has already been cordoned off by local police and armed police forces. No one is allowed on the mountain except us. However, the area is too large for a single investigation office to handle. This is a full Bureau operation. We must work together to contain the Bloodshade Fiend as soon as possible."
Gao Liang surveyed the audience and continued, "Next, I will explain the division of labor. The clerical staff will cooperate with the local armed police to block all exit routes from the mountain. Investigators, along with all office directors and deputy directors, will ascend the mountain in groups of five, with two deputy directors per group. Directors will act independently. Yang Jun and Yang Xiao from the Sixth Office will provide support."
He glanced at his watch and said, "Everyone must assemble at the parking lot within five minutes. Further details will be given after we board the plane."
Half an hour later, the Bureau's special plane was already in the air. Onboard, Sun Fatty went over the division of labor again, handing out topographic maps of the mountain to each group. With his authoritative tone, anyone unfamiliar with him might have thought he had spent decades in administration. But after finishing, that sly grin returned to his face.
He ambled over to me and said, "Lazi, sorry, it looks like we're going to be apart for a while. This time I can't be on the front lines. You and Dajun are both newly promoted deputy directors. I don't worry about your skills, but be careful out there."
As he spoke, he pulled out a slender cloth case from inside his jacket and opened it, revealing a folded crossbow. It was his treasured weapon — I hadn't expected Sun Fatty to be so generous as to pass on Wu Rendi's crossbow to me.
"Great Sage, isn't that a bit much?" I said, refusing the crossbow, "This operation seems noisy but actually it's nothing special. The Bloodshade Fiend looks pinkish, so it's probably still low-level. Your family heirloom isn't needed."
I thought he would relent, but Sun Fatty still pushed the crossbow toward me. "Lazi, just take it. I'm not giving it to you as a gift — you have to return it after."
Several hours later, we arrived at the scene — the foot of Menban Mountain, located at the border between Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. The shape of Menban Mountain was peculiar. The eastern mountain range looked no different from an ordinary mountain, but at its peak it abruptly dropped steeply. The western range was like a gate panel — sheer cliffs resembling a door panel. Presumably, that was how Menban Mountain got its name.
Director Gao first conferred with the local armed police commanders to learn the latest developments. They reported that before our arrival, no unusual activity had been detected. We then split into several groups to search for signs of the Bloodshade Fiend according to the sectors marked on the map.
Po Jun and I were assigned to one group. Apart from Sun Fatty, Po Jun was the closest to me in the Bureau. He was tall and strong, leading the way and saving me much trouble. Menban Mountain looked small, but it took nearly three hours of hiking to reach our designated location.
Po Jun and I circled the target area, inside and out, but found nothing unusual. Po Jun picked a cleaner spot and dug a small hole in the soil. Then he pulled out a test tube from his pocket filled halfway with a dark, sticky liquid.
He frowned at the test tube in his hand. After a moment's hesitation, he poured the liquid into the hole. Instantly, a strong scent of blood filled the air. This was the mixed blood paste that Ouyang Pianzuo had handed out on the plane to each group's director and deputy director — used to attract the Bloodshade Fiend.
I held my breath and stepped back, suppressing the nausea rising in my throat. After a moment of adjustment, I dared to speak: "Dajun, what kind of blood is this from Ouyang Pianzuo? It's sticky, like snot. Can this little bit really attract the Bloodshade Fiend?"
Po Jun also stepped back and looked at me. "This is a fermented human blood paste mixed with snake blood and chicken blood. After mixing in mercury, it won't coagulate. This kind of paste is the most effective bait for bloodthirsty mountain Arcanobeasts like the Bloodshade Fiend."
I still had doubts and asked, "Dajun, I get the snake and chicken blood. But where did Ouyang Pianzuo get so much human blood? It can't be from a hospital's scheduled supply, right?"
Po Jun glanced at me and suddenly laughed without reason. I was baffled until he said, "It's got nothing to do with hospitals. Ouyang Director saves this stuff up over time. You know how Qiu Bulao and Ouyang Director don't get along, right? Ouyang hates everything related to the Second Office and often messes with them. One time, he made the people from the Second Office donate 200 cc of blood every week for a month, saying it was for making their life talismans. Director Gao didn't intervene. Later Director Lin pleaded with our Hao Head, and that's how it ended."
Po Jun glanced around to make sure no one from the Second Office was nearby before continuing, "Ouyang is very practical. He stores all that blood. As he says, it might come in handy someday. Looks like it's coming in handy now. Lazi, keep this to yourself and don't spread it. Be careful that Qiu Bulao doesn't find out and go after Ouyang Pianzuo."
Although Po Jun and I chatted casually back and forth, our ears were alert. He had already taken out his handgun and switched off the safety, scanning the surroundings as he spoke. I had also strung my crossbow and loaded a bolt, ready to fire at the Bloodshade Fiend should it show itself.
Time passed slowly, and our tension began to ease. The sun was already leaning westward when a light rain began to fall. It was early spring, so the rain was gentle but chilling. The trees on this ridge had not yet budded, leaving no shelter from the cold drizzle.
With less than an hour before sunset, the comms crackled to life with Gao Liang's voice: "Investigators, descend for rest. Directors will continue patrol on the mountain. Deputy directors, take shelter in the cave marked on the map and resume the search after the rain stops."
At first, I thought we were going down. But hearing the rest chilled me like the rain. I muttered, "We have to come back out after the rain stops? It's already late, and the mountain will be impossible to navigate after the rain."
While I complained, Po Jun unfolded the map. He was used to this and said, "Be grateful. Think about Director Qiu, Director Ouyang, even Director Lin who just got off his wheelchair — they're still out here in the rain. Compared to them, we're doing well." It was only then I noticed the map was sealed in plastic — they had prepared well in advance. Could those two fat guys at the foot of the mountain really have thought of everything?
Po Jun quickly found the cave on the map. It wasn't far, but the trail was slippery from the rain. It took us twenty minutes to reach the cave entrance. Other investigators had already checked it, so Po Jun and I dared to enter.
From the outside, the cave looked small. Inside, however, it was shaped like a gourd, consisting of two connected chambers. The outer chamber was only five or six meters across, which was fine, but the inner chamber was about the size of a middle school classroom, with a ceiling nearly fifteen or sixteen meters high — essentially a tall cylindrical space.
What was more surprising was evidence of habitation. In the corner of the outer chamber was a large pile of firewood chopped into sections and wrapped in tar paper. The inner chamber's walls were lined with thick felt almost a meter high. Two plastic buckets filled with clean water sat in a corner. We found a small jug of kerosene, kindling wood, and some cooking utensils.
After thoroughly searching both chambers, we found no abnormalities. I asked Po Jun, "Dajun, who do you think lives here?"
Po Jun glanced at the clutter and said, "Probably a mountain watcher, to prevent illegal logging."
I couldn't pinpoint why, but I felt something was off about his answer. Having no better guess, I let it go. Meanwhile, the rain showed no sign of stopping, and a cold wind blew into the cave entrance, making me shiver.
Po Jun was no better off. He shivered and said, "Lazi, let's not be polite. How about a campfire party?" He was already pulling firewood from the pile.