Chapter Five: The Captain's Entrance

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At four in the morning, the bar street outside the capital was finally winding down from its night-long revelry. A few staggering figures still wandered the main street, but in the alleys behind, only chaos and filth remained.

The door creaked open.

Two drunken men, arms slung over each other's shoulders, pushed out the back door of a bar and stumbled along the base of the wall, heading deeper into the shadowy alley.

One of them, a short, stout man with a flushed face and bleary eyes, suddenly slipped, nearly pitching forward onto the ground. Steadying himself, he peered intently at his feet before realizing he’d stepped in a puddle of vomit. Suddenly, he pointed and cackled, “Hah—hic—brother! Look at this.”

The other man was in even worse shape, head hanging, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, mumbling, “Huh? What…what’s that? …Cheese pizza?”

The man with the doughy face waved his hand vigorously. “No! That—”

He pointed at a dark red stain, half-covered by vomit.

“Blood!”

The short, stout man swayed on his feet, tilting his head back with a flushed, leering grin. “You think it’s that bastard… broke a girl right here, eh?”

They both burst into raucous, filthy laughter, completely oblivious to the figure that had appeared before them—a woman with a horse-like face but a striking, voluptuous figure, who now looked down at them with a stormy glare.

“Scum!”

Rooted to the spot on her left foot, she swung her right in a sharp, swift kick that landed squarely between the stout man’s legs. Without pausing, she drew up her knee and slammed it viciously into his jaw.

She moved so quickly that the stout man, only just beginning to double over reflexively, hadn’t even managed a scream before his chin collided with her knee.

There was a dull thud.

His body snapped straight, then flew backwards, knocking out his front teeth as he crashed to the ground.

The other drunk collapsed to the ground in fright, sobered somewhat by the sudden violence, but his tongue was still numbed by drink; he could only wave his hands in terror, unable to form a single coherent sentence.

The horse-faced woman snorted, then raised her foot again, intending to render the second fool equally incapable of fatherhood.

“Stop!”

A raspy voice rang out, laced with warning.

The woman’s expression grew scornful, but she hesitated, clearly wary, and her foot hovered in the air. Then, changing her mind, she shifted direction, pressing her foot—not too hard, not too soft—onto the drunk’s stomach.

He promptly vomited and fell to the ground convulsing, making any future meals a rather daunting prospect.

From the shadows behind her, four men emerged one after another; the one in front was the middle-aged man who had just spoken—the Night Watch Division’s operative, codenamed Wildcat.

Wildcat glanced at the pair of drunks. Seeing their lives weren’t in danger, he said nothing further. Nor did he dare to reprimand the horse-faced woman and the two male half-demons behind her too harshly—those two drunks were hardly innocent, after all; let this be a lesson to them.

“Number Forty-Seven, inform PR to handle the clean-up.”

A sharp-looking young man in black from the trio behind Wildcat stepped forward, hoisting a drunk under each arm and dragging them out of the alley.

The organization’s PR department had staff for all kinds of monster-related incidents—like the recent Qian Youshui burglary case—so this was a small matter.

The horse-faced woman returned to stand behind Wildcat, her face still set, beside a burly man who shared her equine features, the two of them standing apart from the other muscle-bound half-demon.

Once the alley was clear of outsiders, Wildcat turned and swept his gaze over the three half-demons.

“Ma Qiqi, I’m sure your elders have explained the rules for external operatives on missions. Don’t make things difficult for me, or someone will have to pay the price! Understood?”

Ma Qiqi, the youngest and most hotheaded of the three, looked at her older brother Ma Mingming for guidance.

Ma Mingming, standing nearly six foot three, exuded pride. Remembering his family’s strict warning not to clash with the organization’s operatives, he said nothing. Only then did Ma Qiqi begrudgingly snort in acquiescence.

Wildcat turned to Ma Mingming and the other bearded, muscular man. “Wait a bit longer—the captain of Team 18 hasn’t arrived yet.”

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No sooner had he finished speaking than Ma Qiqi demanded, “Captain? Why isn’t my brother captain? The organization just sends some random nobody to lord it over our Ma family?”

Wildcat’s face darkened. Insolent brat—one scolded, two admonished.

“Hmph. Let me teach you some basics about half-demon protocol. External operatives are simply contracted with the organization: the tasks are assigned, you accept them, earn contribution points in exchange for compensation or family merit, and that’s it. Appointing a captain is standard procedure for all field missions. The organization doesn’t force a specific choice, but your Ma family has no right to interfere.”

His eyes were sharp as he looked each of them up and down. Ordinary human or not, anyone who’d survived seven years as an operative had seen it all.

A lazy voice suddenly drifted over.

“No problem—your brother simply lacks the experience and strength to be captain. What’s there to question?”

With that, Lifus sauntered out from the shadows of the main street, hands in the pockets of his black hooded coat, coming to stand before the proud Ma Mingming.

“You’re a sturdy young man,” he quipped, though he was only two years older.

Ma Mingming remained silent and aloof. Ma Qiqi shot Lifus a disdainful look. “Pretty boy—think you’re up for it?”

Lifus merely smiled, laid a hand on Ma Mingming’s shoulder, and warned him, “I’m about to hit you.”

Ma Mingming barely had time for a sneer before he was sent flying, the force so great he had no chance to recover midair. It was as if he’d been plucked up and thrown, landing with a heavy thud a dozen meters away, cracks spidering from the point of impact.

“Brother!” Ma Qiqi cried out, then lashed out with a fierce kick, swift and powerful.

But Lifus didn’t move—her kick passed harmlessly through empty air, as though she’d struck a phantom.

“What!?” Before her foot touched down, Lifus darted forward, hooked her standing leg with his foot, and with a gentle push on her shoulder, spun her like a top. She spun more than ten times before collapsing in a heap.

Lifus sidestepped over to the bearded man, looking up at him. “Young people are full of energy, but if they’re too arrogant, they’re just annoying—don’t you think?”

The bearded man finally regained his composure, puffed out his chest, rolled his shoulders, arms dangling, and grinned, “Of course, Captain.”

Lifus patted his shoulder approvingly. “A teachable lad. What’s your name?”

“Niu Shan. If you call me Shan, I’d be honored.”

Lifus laughed. “Shan, you’re a strong one too. Go help your teammates up.”

Niu Shan, dressed in tight pants, his shoulders like small mountains, trotted over to the Ma siblings to check on their injuries.

For half-demons, that brief scuffle was nothing more than a tap—no one had unleashed their bloodline talents. In a real fight, the outcome might have been different. But even with the warning, Lifus had taken them both down instantly, a clear demonstration of the gulf in strength.

Lifus turned and nodded at Wildcat.

Wildcat introduced himself, “Night Watch Division, Wildcat, this team’s compliance officer. Those two are the Ma siblings from the half-demon Ma family; you already know Niu Shan, our wild-born. Team 18 for ‘Bloodstain Operation’ is now assembled.”

The compliance officer was a special position on field teams, akin to a political commissar, but above all, it was his job to ensure half-demons didn’t cross any lines—like Ma Qiqi had nearly done earlier. In ancient terms, he was like an imperial inspector: his presence could not be ignored.

Lifus, no fan of such types, replied with rare seriousness, “Lifus, codename Passerby C.”

“You’re Passerby C? You’re Passerby C!”

A sudden gasp. Ma Mingming, supported by Ma Qiqi, stared wide-eyed; even Niu Shan’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“That’s me.”

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Lifus shoved his hands back into his coat pockets, his tone nonchalant.

Instantly, the Ma siblings and Niu Shan seemed to transform from adversaries to comrades, huddling together to whisper in low voices.

“I don’t think so. His face is too pale—doesn’t look like someone who’s fought for his life,” Ma Qiqi said, her aesthetic prejudice apparent.

“No, no, lots of half-demons have regenerative abilities. Lack of scars isn’t proof. But I heard Passerby C, second on the contribution leaderboard, is nearly two meters tall and carries a demon sword as big as himself. But this guy…”

Niu Shan, lacking the backing of a half-demon clan, belonged to the so-called “wild-borns”—a slightly derogatory term. Though they were at a disadvantage in resources and status, they made up for it with adaptability and sharp wits, and were often the first to hear inside information.

Ma Mingming cut in, “Rumors are often exaggerated. Qiqi is too prejudiced…”

“Then what do you think, brother?”

Ma Mingming considered. “The second-ranked Passerby C on the leaderboard is a mysterious figure—clearly he hides his appearance for a reason. For this guy to so casually reveal his identity is suspicious. But the half-demon world is full of surprises. We’d be fools to draw conclusions and risk offending a real monster. Plus, this guy…”

He lowered his voice even further. “This pretty boy is definitely strong. Of the three of us, my talent is speed, but I couldn’t even see his attack. Qiqi’s physique isn’t as robust as Niu Shan’s, but she’s got strength, and yet he spun her like a toy…”

He shot a pointed look at Niu Shan, full of contempt.

Niu Shan coughed. “Even Ma, the big brother, was taken out in one move. I know I’m not quite your equal, so I was just saving my strength, you know?”

Ma Qiqi rolled her eyes openly.

Ma Mingming decided this wasn’t the time to argue with Niu Shan. “For now, we play along—don’t fight for the captaincy. If he shows weakness during the monster hunt, we can kick him out of the role then.”

The other two nodded in reluctant agreement.

But in their whispered plotting, they’d forgotten one crucial fact: as fellow half-demons, differences aside, at this range, even the quietest words couldn’t escape the ears of the second-ranked operative in the organization.

Lifus sighed softly, turning to Wildcat. “They’re so green, and they’re being thrown into a case this dangerous?”

Wildcat, with years of experience, could guess exactly what the youngsters were scheming. And truth be told, even he felt some awe for the man before him.

The contribution leaderboard had begun as an internal end-of-year tally of monster hunts, but one year the list leaked and caused a sensation—especially the identities of the top operatives. Over time, the leaderboard had gone from accidental leaks, to secret rankings, to being officially announced each year by the organization.

For five years running, Passerby C had held second place, but with such a secretive existence that only three people—Housekeeper Ten, Simple, and regional manager Tian Xinhang—knew his true face.

Wildcat maintained a genial facade, but inwardly mused, “Judging by Lifus’s outfit, he must be the one who provided the Chingfu monster’s sketch the other day. Never imagined he was the legendary Passerby C. If he’s so unconcerned, why was he hiding all this time?”

Lifus could only smile wryly. “What, am I supposed to give an interview after every hunt? Some of us have families to care for.”

Wildcat laughed heartily. “I was puzzled too, but now I see the reason. With you on Team 18, I have no worries for our safety. What a relief.”

Lifus forced a smile, turning to the three young half-demons. “All right. Any more objections to my captaincy? If not, let’s introduce ourselves properly.”

The three exchanged glances, then stepped forward in turn.

“Ma Mingming, horse demon bloodline, C-level concentration, talent not yet awakened, specializes in speed.”

“Niu Shan, ox demon bloodline, C-level concentration, talent not yet awakened, excels in physical strength.”

“Ma Qiqi, horse demon bloodline, C+ concentration, talent awakened in sensory perception—smell.”

Wildcat was surprised that Ma Qiqi, the girl, had the highest bloodline concentration and had already awakened a rare sensory talent.

Lifus was unimpressed. All were at the lowest bloodline concentration. That might suffice against a juvenile Chingfu monster, and only Ma Qiqi’s sensory ability was truly uncommon.