Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1767 Nighttime Investigation of the Slaughterhouse

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……

The night was as dark as ink, staining the imperial capital, Tiandou City.

The stars were sparse, and a cold wind swept through the empty streets, swirling up a few withered leaves.

Not long after the lights in Chen Xiaojun's courtyard went out, three agile figures gathered outside the intelligence department's outpost like raccoon dogs.

An Mingyuan, Qiu Qingquan, and Yuan Run—the Three Friends of the Earth Listening—have changed into dark, action-packed outfits for easy movement, with family-made short blades and climbing ropes hanging from their waists.

Before long, a tall, thin man who seemed to blend into the shadows appeared silently; it was none other than Mo Yuzheng, the intelligence officer.

His "Shadow Spirit" granted him a natural ability to conceal himself, and the surrounding light was slightly distorted around him, as if he were shrouded in a flowing veil of ink.

"Uncle Yu Zheng." The three bowed respectfully.

Mo Yu nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "You must be careful with the things the young master has instructed. That place was just ravaged by blood, and what remains is not only danger, but also clues. Follow me, observe more, speak less, and act according to orders."

He spoke succinctly and was the first to plunge into the deeper darkness.

The three exchanged a glance, suppressing their excitement at this first mission, and followed closely behind, with Qiu Qingquan's steps being the lightest and quietest.

Their target was the Bloodlust Cult's slaughterhouse stronghold in the Southeast China Resources District (District 44), which was cleared out yesterday.

From a distance, the dilapidated outline of the slaughterhouse resembled a crouching behemoth in the night.

The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burning, which could be clearly heard even from a distance.

What's more troublesome is that the faint glow of patrol torches and figures dressed in the uniforms of the Inspectorate and the City Guard could be seen moving around the outpost – the authorities had indeed sent people to guard the scene.

Mo Yu raised his hand to signal a halt, and his shadowy martial spirit spread out like a living thing, probing the distribution and weaknesses of the guards ahead.

"There are guards. Stay close and use Shadow Step."

His voice was barely audible.

The four of them clung tightly to the shadow of the high wall. Mo Yu, using his soul skill "Shadow Veil," skillfully distorted the light and aura, enveloping them in an almost non-existent dark mass. They silently evaded the sight of the sentries on the outside and slid in through a gap in the side wall that had been collapsed by the explosion.

The interior was a complete mess.

Broken bricks and stones, charred wooden beams, large patches of dried and blackened blood (especially concentrated in the slaughter area), and the eerie remnants of a violently destroyed magic array.

The walls were covered with marks from knife cuts, axe blows, and soul skill attacks, silently telling the story of yesterday's tragedy.

"Separate to investigate, pay attention to anything unusual, and stay away from any suspicious remnants of soul power or objects. Yuan Run, be sure to record the details," Mo Yuzheng ordered in a low voice.

The four dispersed like ghosts.

An Mingyuan crouched down, his strong physique tensing in the darkness. He picked up a bit of soil stained with black blood with his fingers, and his earth-attribute perception made him sense a viscosity and coldness that was different from ordinary blood.

Qiu Qingquan moved along the wall like a real rat, his extraordinary hearing, granted by the Cold Nether Rat Martial Soul, capturing the slightest sounds inside and outside the warehouse—the footsteps of the outer guards, the faint barking of dogs in the distant streets and alleys, the monotonous sound of the night watchman's clapper, and... the extremely faint yet dense vibrations coming from deep underground.
He frowned and gave Mo Yuzheng an inquiring look.

Yuan Run intently observed the distribution and direction of the battle traces, his round face appearing particularly serious in the shadows. He walked to a large patch of dark red blood-stained ground, his soul rings glowing slightly as he activated his third soul skill, [Fossil to Mud]. Soul power flowed through his palms, and the viscous, congealed blood on the ground seemed to be softened and liquefied by an invisible force, briefly regaining some of its liquid characteristics and revealing its impurities.

He carefully used tweezers to pick out a few tiny, uncleaned fragments of dark red crystal from the "muddy" bloodstains, the edges of which seemed to be engraved with twisted runes.

He carefully wrapped it in cloth.

Mo Yu stood in the center of the warehouse, his dark figure extending outwards like tentacles to explore.

His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over several seemingly ordinary corners before finally settling on a hidden door that had been partially destroyed and led underground.

There lingered a faint, yet unsettling, trace of malevolent soul energy, slightly different from the usual aura of the Bloodlust Cult, and even more filthy.

Mo Yuzheng withdrew his shadow: "This place has been thoroughly searched in the open, and the guards are tight, so it's not advisable to stay long. Mingyuan, Qingquan, go to the outer streets and alleys and listen to the discussions about yesterday's big case, especially around the taverns and alleys where Soul Masters gather. Yuanrun, come with me to check out this secret door."

He pointed to the collapsed entrance, "Probe very quickly, be careful, there may be untriggered traps or residual evil magic."

An Mingyuan and Qiu Qingquan accepted the order and, once again using the cover provided by Mo Yuzheng, slipped out silently through the gap and blended into the shadows of the streets and alleys.

Before leaving, Qiu Qingquan whispered again, "Uncle Yuzheng, things seem a bit unsettled underground?"

…………

Not long after, the silent night sky of the capital was suddenly torn apart.

In the early hours of the morning, the official operation began!

First, several blinding signal beams suddenly rose in the Southeast region, like blood-red stars exploding!
Immediately afterwards, the heavy, thunderous sound of iron boots pounding the ground grew louder as it approached, shattering the deathly silence of the night.

Clad in heavy soul-guided armor bearing the royal insignia and the emblem of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Guard soldiers appeared on the main street like a steel torrent, their torches forming a moving fire dragon, and an aura of killing intent instantly permeated the entire city.

Their objective was clear: to head straight for the known entrances to the underground network—the old temple in the east of the city (District 48), the abandoned waterway (near District 41), and the black market tunnel (near District 43) within the Southeast Region!

"Seal off! Internal Security is on duty, everyone get out of the way!" The cold command echoed in the night.

Almost simultaneously, countless nimble, ghostly figures—the "Shadow Hunters" belonging to the Xuan Niao Division—silently slipped into the ground from rooftops, dark alleys, and even drains, following any remaining traces of blood and curses.

Further away in the western district, faint explosions, flashes of colliding soul skills, and sudden, desperate roars and battle cries could be heard!
That was when the main force of the city guards, under Marshal Golaihao's strict order to "dig three feet into the ground," forcibly broke into the complex underground world in the west, which was as intricate as a spider web, and a bloody conflict broke out with the desperados!
Poisoned crossbow bolts, exploding fireballs, collapsed tunnels, pervasive poisonous smoke... the clamor of battle and the stench of death faintly wafted through the ventilation shafts and sewers.

Mo Yu suddenly straightened up, and his Shadow Martial Soul fluctuated violently, completely dispelling the trace of evil soul power he had detected.

"Let's go!" He grabbed Yuan Run, who was intently recording the details of the hidden door.

An Mingyuan and Qiu Qingquan retreated in alarm and hurriedly reported: "Uncle Yuzheng! The streets are full of Imperial Guards and City Guards! Fighting has broken out underground in the west, and there are sounds of collapse! People in the taverns are spreading rumors that His Highness Qinghuang has disappeared, the Prince is furious, and the capital is going to be turned upside down tonight!"

Mo Yu made a decisive decision: "Large-scale search! Retreat!"

The black shadow martial spirit expanded and enveloped the four people, then sped away like an ink line along the shadow of the deep wall.

Behind them, the night in the capital city was completely ablaze.

The steel gate sealed off by the inner guards slammed down, and the figure of the embroidered-robed envoy vanished in a flash of firelight. The fighting and roaring sounds coming from the depths of the underground became the deepest background noise in the capital at this moment.

The first mission of the Three Friends of the Earth was unexpectedly interrupted by the beginning of the riots in the capital. The dark red crystal fragment that Yuan Run had discovered lay quietly in his arms, as if it contained the secret at the center of the storm.

(End of this chapter)