Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 313: Chapter 270: Eradicate Evil Thoroughly

Yang Xiao lost consciousness in an instant, and by the time he woke up again, dawn had already broken. He found himself lying on the floor outside the washroom.

"Hiss—"

Struggling to his feet, Yang Xiao reached up to touch his head and felt a large lump. There was no need to think about it; it had certainly been caused by bumping into the mirror the night before.

The Underworld Robe was draped over the back of a chair, and a mysterious wind blew in from somewhere, making the long sleeves flutter. Startled, Yang Xiao turned pale.

As if remembering something suddenly, he quickly patted down his body and the next second, his heart sank—the Shadow Engraving Stone he had so hard to come by was missing.

Yang Xiao worried that it had been devoured by the Drama Robe. He wasn’t concerned about losing a mere stone; having obtained a Soul-Capturing Mirror was trouble enough. If he were to encounter a ghost that strangled him in his sleep, then what chance did he have to live?

Fortunately, after a thorough check of the Drama Robe, he didn’t find the Shadow Engraving Stone sewn into it, nor were any paper offerings missing from the Nether Garment.

Lying on the ground, Yang Xiao searched the entire room and, unexpectedly, found the stone tucked away in a small pocket on the inside of his backpack, with the zipper closed carefully.

"Sister truly is thoughtful. She must be from a well-bred family of humble origins. Thank you, sister," said Yang Xiao with a smile to the Drama Robe, but his vigilance was at its peak. In his view, this Underworld Robe was entirely different from other Resentful Eyes. It didn’t seem like a ghost; it seemed more like a living person.

"I don’t have the time to deal with you right now but, in the future, when I find a way, I will surely avenge today’s collision with the mirror. A man may be killed, but he must not be humiliated," thought Yang Xiao to himself, but the expression on his face was one of genuine sincerity. His smile was as sweet as if his lips had been brushed with honey. "Sister, please go back into the backpack for now. You’ve been busy for so long; it’s time to rest. Thank you for your hard work."

After safely stowing the Drama Robe back in his backpack, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, he found Beibei, Ximen Xiu, and Zhuge Zhijie all standing there, looking at him with strange expressions. Beibei looked past Yang Xiao into the room and then spoke after a moment, "Captain, who were you talking to?"

"Oh, I was just giving myself a pep talk. I do it every morning," replied Yang Xiao with a gesture of encouragement, his smile relaxed as he tried to cover up. "What brings you guys here?"

"We got a message from the Director. We need to set out as soon as possible. There’s a big operation tonight in Rongcheng," said Beibei, her expression serious, suggesting that the situation was urgent.

"Do you know the specifics?"

"No idea."

The group made do with a simple breakfast and set out while it was still dim outside, taking Cai Dechen with them. But he wasn’t privileged enough for a ride in the car. Beibei tied him up and threw him into the trunk, stomping on him harshly twice. "To get involved with an Evil Cultivator, this is the only outcome!"

After dealing with Cai Dechen and turning back around, Beibei suddenly noticed that Yang Xiao’s complexion didn’t look good, "Captain, what’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing... I’m just tired from last night," said Yang Xiao, averting his gaze, increasingly determined to keep his mouth shut. If the people from the Patrol Defense Bureau knew he was surrounded by Evil Cultivator equipment, he feared those few stomps would be for him instead. It was too terrifying.

On the road, Yang Xiao was still pondering this matter. Sitting in the passenger seat, he tried to coax some information out of Beibei. "What will happen to this Cai Dechen when we get back?"

"We’ll interrogate him first. Dig out all the information he knows," said Beibei, whose driving was still smooth, overtaking other cars without a second thought. frёeωebɳovel.com

"And after the interrogation?"

"We’ll see if he’s got any cursed Resentful Eyes on him. If not, it’ll be a nuisance. If he does, it’ll be simple—probably just end him on the spot, and then recover and seal away the Resentful Eyes. Those things can’t be allowed out there; you never know how many people they could hurt," explained Beibei offhandedly, clearly no stranger to such matters, speaking of them as if it were all in a day’s work.

Yang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, "End him just for having a cursed Resentful Eye? Isn’t that... isn’t that a bit too rash? What if the Resentful Eye is a reward for entering the Nightmare World and has nothing to do with Evil Cultivators? Wouldn’t an innocent person be wrongly accused?"

Hearing this, Ximen Xiu, who was sitting in the back seat, spoke up, "There’s no misjudgment. The Resentful Eyes choose their bearers, too. Those cursed ones aren’t something you can just get if you want. It requires fate. Evil Cultivators, they call it spiritual root. In other words, if someone is kind-hearted, those wicked Resentful Eyes simply wouldn’t fall into their hands. Even if they stand out the most in the Nightmare World, they won’t be entangled by any messy Resentful Eyes."

"There are always exceptions to everything," Yang Xiao tried to argue. He felt that he was basically a good person at heart.

Laughing, Ximen Xiu responded, "There aren’t. This has been verified by so many predecessors. Anyone who has one cursed Resentful Eye is a person with brutal intentions. Those with two or three are all blood-debted, homicidal maniacs. If we catch one, there’s no choice but to execute them. It’s not enough to appease the public’s anger. If you ask me, even dismemberment is not too severe!"

As he spoke, Ximen Xiu suddenly stopped. He noticed Yang Xiao sweating profusely and turning pale. "Um... Captain, are you alright?"

"I’m fine, I just have a bit of low blood sugar," Yang Xiao said, trembling as he tried to open a bottle of iced tea, succeeding only after several attempts.

Ximen’s expression changed slightly, sensing that something was amiss. He leaned in and whispered, "Captain, you don’t have... such ’friends,’ do you?"

"Nonsense!" Yang Xiao’s eyebrows shot up, "What kind of person do I, Yang Xiao, look like? I’m the investigation team leader at the Patrol Defense Bureau, and I share no common ground with evil!"

"Team leader, don’t get worked up. It was just a question." Xi Menxiu felt quite embarrassed by Yang Xiao’s reaction.

On the way back, Yang Xiao managed to catch some sleep and even had a dream. In it, he was tied up and paraded outside on the open ground of the Patrol Defense Bureau, with Director Nalan, Beibei, Da Xiong, Ximen Xiu, and all the others glaring at him fiercely.

Ximen Xiu and Zhuge Zhijie stood to his left and right, each holding a banner high above that read, "Yang Xiao, the inner traitor and Great Heretic Cultivator," in thick, brush-written characters. They even discussed taking him out for a public parade, then executing him by firing squad. In a haze, he woke up terrified.

The return trip was relatively smooth, and at 8 p.m. sharp, they finally returned to Rongcheng. As soon as Yang Xiao set foot in the Patrol Defense Bureau, he sensed an air of tension. The normally lax first-floor hall was brightly lit, everyone was at their post, and Ms. Wen was waiting for them.

"Director Nalan is in a meeting. Follow me."

From Ms. Wen’s demeanor, Yang Xiao knew that today’s affair was no small matter. He guessed it might be related to the Yu Yuan Sect infiltrating Rongcheng.

Sure enough, Ms. Wen led them to a hidden conference room where two people were already seated.

One male, one female, both new faces. The man was roughly in his forties, with a sharp gaze and a scar from the corner of his mouth stretching to his jaw, a black broad-back hunting knife wrapped in a leather sheath lying flat in front of him.

The woman was significantly younger, dressed in a beige trench coat, with a high ponytail that gave her an air of elegance and efficiency. Two silver pistols lay on the table, one on each side, with several elongated magazines neatly aligned between them.

"Beibei!" The young woman’s face lit up at the sight of Beibei coming in.

"Qi Ya!"

It was obvious the two knew each other.

But with Ms. Wen present, they refrained from chatting, as it was apparent from the atmosphere that there was an important mission at hand.

Before long, the conference room door was pushed open, and Director Nalan walked in with long strides, his profile stern. Yang Xiao noticed that Nalan Shuo, who usually appeared in casual attire, had today donned the unusual attire of a Patrol Defense Office uniform and combat boots.

As Nalan Shuo arrived, the tension in the room became suffocating. Yang Xiao, Beibei, as well as the middle-aged man and Qi Ya, all instinctively sat up straight, awaiting a briefing.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today we have received vital intelligence from the Apostles Union. A group of evil cultists has secretly infiltrated Rongcheng with an unknown agenda."

"These individuals come from an extremely dangerous cult, and we have confirmed the presence of a high-ranking heretic cultivator at the Venerable level, as well as an unknown number of evil cultivator apostles who possess the Resentful Eye. According to the intelligence, their numbers are no less than 20, currently hiding in an old building in the west of the city."

"Due to the seriousness of the case, it is commanding high attention. This will be a joint operation between the Lin’an, Luming, and Anping bureaus, with Lin’an and Anping taking the lead as the primary strike team, while the Luming Bureau and subsequent technical staff will be on standby. The entire operation will be under my command, Nalan Shuo, director of the Lin’an Patrol Office. Have I made myself clear?"

"Clear," everyone replied.

Nalan Shuo waved his hand, indicating that they could ask questions and signaling Ms. Wen to open his leather paper bag and distribute some documents to Yang Xiao and the others.

"Director Nalan, is there any intelligence on this Venerable Level heretic cultivator? Her Resentful Eye abilities, categories, or her past..."

The middle-aged man didn’t finish his sentence when Nalan Shuo interrupted, "No, we only know she’s female, looks relatively young, and has a habit of wearing red."

"This person is also an exceedingly mysterious figure within the cult. It’s said that even the informants that the Apostles Union has infiltrated have never seen her true face. However, one thing is certain – she has been severely injured, but you must not let your guard down because of this," Nalan Shuo stressed.

Yang Xiao learned from Beibei’s quiet introduction that the two new faces were the captain and vice-captain of Anping’s Patrol Defense Investigation Team. Zhao Yuanpei, previously on good terms with Yang Xiao and going by the alias Kuang Hongyi, was the former captain of Anping’s Investigation Team and the man who introduced Yang Xiao to the Patrol Defense Bureau. Unfortunately, he died in a supernatural event triggered by ghost children.

While reviewing the materials, Yang Xiao suddenly furrowed his brows, "These people have over 20 children?"

Nalan Shuo nodded grimly at Yang Xiao’s question, "It is believed these cultists need a large number of bodies to cultivate the Resentful Eye. These children were carefully selected from various places, so be extra cautious during the operation not to harm these innocent children."

"Additionally, for your safety, the orders from above are to eliminate these cultists on sight without capture. There is only one rule: eradicate them completely, and ensure not a single one escapes."