Chapter 24: A Slip Revealed

As the sun set behind the western hills, and the last glimmer of warmth vanished at the mountain's peak, Wangshi Village seemed to descend into a hush, growing even colder and more desolate than it had been by day.

“Captain, it’s about five thirty-five now. Zijing and I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. What should we do?” Si Guilong stood by the pond, speaking into his communication chip.

“Stick to the original orders. Don’t let anyone spot you. Also, I got word from Zhang Gong—there’s some event happening tonight to welcome the hunters back, and we’re invited. Wait for my signal before you join us,” Li Jiajie replied from inside a thatched hut.

Elsewhere, Dai Yin continued to keep an eye on Zhang Gong and his companion.

“I have a feeling he’s about to make a move tonight. Be ready to adapt during the dinner. The villagers clearly haven’t been out hunting—while you search, keep close track of their whereabouts,” Li Jiajie continued.

Around eight that evening, on the eastern village square—

“Ah, you’re finally here, brothers! Come, find a place to sit!” “Akui” greeted them cheerfully, beckoning Dai Yin and Li Jiajie to join the gathering.

The two of them sat cross-legged around the faint glow at the square’s center. Li Jiajie gave “Akui” a smile, then fell silent, as did his companion.

“You’ve got two more young men with you, don’t you? Bring them over! The more, the merrier!” “Akui” laughed, exuding the warmth of a genial village host.

“Oh, they’ve gone off to the pond. I’ve already told them about this—they should be along soon,” Li Jiajie replied pleasantly, all the while observing Zhang Gong for any reaction.

As expected, a flicker of panic crossed Zhang Gong’s face before he responded, “Brother, that pond was dug by all of us—there’s a sheer drop beneath the surface, and now it’s dark. You’d better call them back. If they can’t swim and slip in, it could be dangerous!”

He’s taken the bait, Li Jiajie thought, though he kept his expression unchanged. “It’s all right, they can swim. There shouldn’t be a problem, Brother Akui, no need to worry. But I am curious—you said the villagers would be back, but it’s just the three of us here. Where is everyone?”

Zhang Gong, realizing the subject had changed, forced himself to answer, “They should be back by now. I’ll check at the village entrance.” With that, he got up and strode outside.

On the other side—

“Wuse, Zijing, go check what’s at the bottom of the pond,” Li Jiajie ordered as soon as Zhang Gong was out of earshot.

“Understood!” Si Guilong replied, beginning to strip off his outerwear. Even in the chill of winter, the advanced uniform provided the warmth a body required. As he undressed, he said to Zijing, “Rookie, you stand guard up here. I’ll have a look below.”

As he finished, a layer of rigid skin emerged over his uniform, and his surface temperature began to fall. Zijing watched with amazement—was the rebirth suit really this adaptable to its wearer’s abilities?

Before Zijing could react, Si Guilong had already plunged into the water with a splash, vanishing beneath the surface.

Underwater, Si Guilong activated his power, lowering his body temperature to match the water while his form slowly became transparent, blending into his surroundings.

The water was clear; thanks to its depth, silt and debris had all settled at the bottom. With his ability, Si Guilong could see everything on the pond floor with perfect clarity.

Strangely, even after diving nearly ten meters down, he saw no sign of life. Puzzled, he kept descending until he reached the very bottom.

“What on earth…?” Si Guilong stared, a mix of shock and fury in his eyes.

A few minutes later, a small head broke the water’s surface.

“Senior! Are you all right?” Zijing called out.

Si Guilong swam to the shore and used his suit to dry himself off. The veins stood out faintly on his forehead as he spoke, his voice grave, “We have a major problem.”

“Captain, I’ve found about… forty bodies down there, probably villagers, dumped at the deepest part of the pond!” Si Guilong reported succinctly, withholding the grisly details.

What! Zijing’s heart skipped a beat. His suspicions had been confirmed. Panic seized him—he’d never faced anything like this, let alone actual deaths.

There was a brief silence over the comms before a voice replied, “During that round of probing just now, it seemed Zhang Gong sensed something was up. It’s probably pointless to look for survivors now. Come back—headquarters’ support will arrive soon. Stall for time, we’ll handle the rest.”

Back at the square, Li Jiajie’s face was clouded. This case was proving every bit as difficult as the one from over a decade ago; he doubted his small team could resolve it before backup arrived. His mind raced for a solution.

At that moment, Zijing and Si Guilong returned, both silent.

Si Guilong abruptly spoke: “I examined a few corpses. Each has a tiny puncture at the carotid artery. To keep them from floating, stones were tied to their feet. Judging by the degree of bloating, the time of death matches the first distress call from August.”

“That’s all the evidence we need. Ordinary people are powerless before even the weakest sequencer. This Zhang Gong is worse than a beast!” Li Jiajie ground out through clenched teeth.

“Captain, someone’s coming.” Dai Yin, who had been on watch, warned them.

The three turned toward the village entrance. Sure enough, Zhang Gong was approaching with a group in tow.

Under the cold beam of their flashlights, Zhang Gong and the villagers at the front walked with strange, stiff gaits, their faces blank and wooden—a troupe of marionettes.

“The situation’s changed. Prepare for combat!” The four sprang to their feet, entering battle stance. Zijing was visibly tense and anxious. He was good at deduction and book learning, but since joining Rebirth he’d never trained for combat.

Li Jiajie, seeing Zijing’s state, said, “If a fight breaks out, we may not be able to look after you. Pick your moment and get away—contact the emergency division!”

Before Zijing could answer, “Akui” called out as he approached, “Hey, brother, what’s with that stance? Sit down, sit down—we caught plenty of game tonight, come eat with us!” The words brimmed with warmth, but the icy undertone only put his listeners more on guard.