Mastering the Sword Manual, sweeping across the globe

Then, Wang De'an's phone vibrated; his messaging app had received several file transfer requests.

His hands trembled as he received and opened each message.

The first video shows a middle-aged woman with a chain around her neck, chained to a roadside railing like a dog, her eyes filled with terror and despair. Official caption: Suspectedly, this incident stemmed from a passerby's desire to educate others about dog safety, as the woman was not properly leashed while walking her dog.

The second video shows a man being forcibly pushed head into a roadside puddle, coughing and struggling. Official note: The individual in question was allegedly being subjected to a "lesson" due to the driver's dangerous driving and abusive attitude.

Third image: Close-up shot of several bloodied, white teeth lying on rough ground. Official note: Personalized comments were posted to the target individual in an anonymous online space, which, upon analysis, aroused the target individual's curiosity.

Fourth video clip: In the morning light, a high-speed train speeds along the tracks. A figure runs parallel to the tracks at an alarming speed, even interacting with a little girl inside the train window, offering her a bouquet of wildflowers. Official note: Observation record of the target individual's long-distance mobility (maximum speed, endurance assessment).

Wang De'an stared in disbelief, a chill running down his spine and up to the top of his head.

This...this Great Yang Dynasty, has...finally produced a demon?

But... that can't be, right? It's only been a few decades!

Yet the cold annotations in the video, such as "target individual," "provoked disgust," and "observation record," clearly sound like official language. They record unimaginable power and atrocities in a tone that is almost like a laboratory observation report, which is so absurd that it makes one's scalp crawl.

But then he was overwhelmed with immense grievance: What...what does this have to do with me, Wang De'an?!

I don't keep dogs and disturb the peace, I'm not a reckless driver, and although I do go online, I mostly just browse health posts and card game guides, and at most I'll grumble a few words in a corner where no one is paying attention. I've never maliciously cursed anyone.

How could someone as cautious and timid as me, who only seeks a peaceful life, possibly be associated with such a "monster" who pulls out people's teeth at the drop of a hat, forces people to drink dirty water, and can even race against high-speed trains?

Just as he was in a state of utter confusion, Xiao Liu sent him a new video with a short message: "This case is considered to be most relevant to you."

Wang De'an clicked on it.

[Archived Documents: Incident in Ward 312 of Guangming No. 1 Central Hospital - Record of Pre-incident Discussions by the Parties Involved (Li Fuquan and his Family) and Record of the Target Individual Intervention Process (including physical conflict and subsequent abnormal conditions)]

Beneath the lengthy and complex title lies a key clip that plays automatically:

The old man groaned in pain on the hospital bed, while several people beside him whispered their plans—"Find the source of the responsibility," "We can go to him for any headaches or fevers in the future," "Make a scene at his workplace," "Go to his wife's pharmacy," "Film a video and post it online"... Every word was clearly audible.

Then the young man pushed open the door, calmly asked questions, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, broke bones and crushed wrists... and several people began uncontrollably repeating, "I'm despicable..."

Upon seeing this, Wang De'an's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly!

This hospital ward...this old man...the methods of this young man...

He certainly didn't know Li Fuquan, nor did he know the young man.

But he instantly understood the implications behind this "hospital incident".

That past he had tried so hard to forget, that he thought had been buried with his demotion, was like a coffin lid being violently pried open by this video, spitting out the stench of stale blood.

Just as I was in this state of shock, Xiao Liu sent me a voice message.

Wang De'an clicked on it.

Xiao Liu's voice came through the receiver:

"Wang, the peace envoy, based on the latest trajectory tracking and analysis, the target is currently... on train K7xxx. The train's final destination is Yingtian."

Cold sweat instantly soaked my back, and my hand holding the phone trembled so badly that it fell to the ground.

So that's how it is... So that's where the root of the problem lies!

That "target," that "monster," not only can't stand evil deeds, but they also dare to bring up old grievances?

"You...you're here to protect me, right? You're here to capture him, right!?"

Wang De'an asked the jacket-wearing and fast-paced men around him, how much they feared the flood and beasts just now, and how desperately they saw it as a lifeline now.

“Yes, of course,” the lead man in the jacket replied gently.

Then, he gestured, and his subordinates subtly tightened their encirclement.

At this moment, Wang De'an had no time to observe these details. He was eager to know more, to know just how terrifying the target was, and to know how much the imperial court had prepared.

He picked up the phone that had fallen to the ground; the screen was slightly cracked, but it didn't affect its operation.

His fingers trembled, but his movements were swift. He began to recklessly use all his connections and relationships to desperately inquire about the matter.

He contacted an old official in the old archives of the Provincial Surveillance Commission to inquire about any special case files that had been accessed.

He contacted a distant relative who worked as a clerk in the police station to inquire about any recent cross-provincial major cases requiring cooperation or special alert notices.

He even mustered up the courage to send a message to an old acquaintance who copied the official gazette at the Office of Transmission, to test whether there had been any unusual movements or secret edicts circulating among the high-ranking officials of the court recently.

To his surprise and considerable unease, all these inquiries went exceptionally smoothly.

The people he contacted, regardless of their position or whether they were old acquaintances or casual friends, almost all responded after a brief hesitation.

Moreover, the content of the response was surprisingly candid.

Without prior arrangement, they all sent him all the information they could access related to the "target"—internal briefings, video materials, and analytical summaries that should have been strictly confidential and should not have been leaked—through encrypted channels.

There was no shirking of responsibility, no perfunctory response, and not even excessive warnings or reminders.

It was as if an invisible hand was quietly manipulating things behind his back, opening the floodgates of all relevant information for him.

And so, on Wang De'an's cracked phone screen, those shocking images from the past kept popping up one after another:

A man's thumb and forearm were forcibly bound with rings and watches, leaving his skin torn and bloody, deeply embedded in the metal. Note: The perpetrator attempted to use his position to extort valuables.

An obese man lay sprawled on the ground, his exposed skin covered with charred, circular burn marks. Note: The factory owner in question owed wages to his underage employees.

A comparison of a middle-aged woman's ID photo and recent surveillance footage. In just one or two days, her once-full face visibly withered and haggard, her eyes sunken, wrinkles deep, as if ten years of vitality had been drained from her, exuding an aura of impending death. Note: The person involved has been subjected to special methods by the targeted individual; her physical and psychological age has been forcibly advanced, and her condition is under continuous observation.

A man wearing an executive jacket showed no reaction to any external stimuli. Note: The perpetrator was subjected to special methods that rendered him completely incapacitated, and he appears to be trapped in a state of semi-consciousness.

Etc., etc……

One pile, one piece.

Their methods varied, and were all cruel and brutal.

As Wang De'an looked at it, his fingers grew cold, and his stomach churned.

Having grown up in a peaceful and prosperous era, Wang De'an had never personally witnessed—even through video—such a variety of horrifying forms of vigilante torture that were directly inflicted on people.

The more he looked, the more horrified and terrified he became.

The horrific conditions, distorted faces, and inhuman suffering of those people in the video constantly assaulted his senses.

He could almost smell the blood and burning through the screen, and hear the screams and the sound of bones breaking.

Especially the before-and-after photos of Tang Jiaping's rapid aging, the helpless cries of "I'm so immoral..." from the people in the ward, and Zhou Mingyuan's motionless state, sent chills down his spine—this target not only torments the body but also destroys the spirit and sense of time, leaving one unable to live or die!

In a modern society governed by the rule of law, how could such a scoundrel, seemingly crawling out of hell, be hiding beneath the surface of peace?!

No, this can't go on! I have to save myself!

"You...you're such a small group, can you guarantee you'll catch him?"

Wang De'an looked at the jacketed man leading the group with a serious expression: "In the video, he ran almost as fast as a high-speed train... Couldn't everyone be prepared a little more thoroughly? For example, with some special equipment?"

“Yes, yes,” the man in the jacket reassured him gently, “This place is small, and we have many colleagues outside.”

Are there more outside?

Yes, it is indeed too small here.

Wang De'an felt a little relieved after hearing this. He walked to the window, and his teammates followed him.

Looking through the window, there were indeed many people in uniform standing outside... well, there were also many people who weren't in uniform, but whose solemn aura was immediately apparent. There were at least fifty or sixty people in total.

Further away, many residents of the community had clearly noticed the unusual situation and were pointing and whispering in small groups.

“This… so many people, that’s quite a lot. But it seems they haven’t prepared any equipment… maybe they’ve set it up in a more secluded place?” Wang De’an guessed, then breathed a sigh of relief. He then realized another important oversight: “In the video, even the specially reinforced iron frame couldn’t withstand his grabbing a couple of times. Isn’t it too dangerous for us to stay here?”

“Right, right!” Before the man in the jacket could answer, Wang De’an continued, “How about we go to my house? That would involve going through several floors, and such a narrow space should be more advantageous for making an arrest, right?”

“No, no,” Wang De’an rejected his own idea again: “My house is too conspicuous! And too dangerous... That... that target might be coming for my house... Um, I heard that the fast-track yamen has a special safe house, designed for secrecy and security... Why don’t we go there?”

“Right! Shouldn’t we have brought so many people with us when we went over? So many uniforms surrounding us are too conspicuous… It’s practically telling the target that the person you’re looking for is… here…”

"At once……"

"exist……"

"This……"

"inside……"

The space suddenly fell silent, then a series of rattling sounds came from Wang De'an, his teeth chattering.

"Are you... really here to protect me?"

“Of course,” the leader in the jacket sighed softly as he saw Wang De’an finally come to his senses. “In any case, you must hold on until…that person arrives.”

Of course I have to protect you!

If you commit suicide, wouldn't that guy be very likely to seek revenge on someone else?

That would be outrageous!

56. Don't care

Amid anger, despair, and fear, more news arrived.

"Train KXX has passed XX City and is expected to arrive in Yingtian City in 12 hours."

"The target once pulled out two people's teeth with his bare hands; photos from the scene are attached."

He was slapped five times for not reporting the fact; what a vicious person he is!

……

"Train KXX has passed XX City and is expected to arrive in Yingtian City in 11.5 hours."

"The target forced a woman to eat the outer packaging and plastic bag of a scallion pancake; photo attached (she is attractive)."

How could someone so beautiful do such a thing? What a heartless person!

……

"Train KXX has passed XX City and is expected to arrive in Yingtian City in 9.5 hours."

"The target took his children fishing in the suburbs a few days ago (attached is a photo of the children's fishing gear taken from a distance)."

You manage a salary of 2000 yuan, and you take care of the kids who have no one to look after them. There are so many bad people and bad things in this world, and so many good people and good things, so why am I the only one who is unlucky?

……

During the phone call, everyone expressed their sympathy, but many also expressed a sense of helplessness.

“Old Wang…look how many people are here? Do you think this is a problem for someone of my rank to handle? Go to the toilet? Then go ahead and go…Someone’s watching and you can’t pee? Oh well, then pee a little longer…I’m not saying this to be rude, but they’re so experienced. None of the bureaucrats who went in to Yingtian City in the last two years have had a successful case of unnatural death…”

"Brother De, I'll answer whatever you ask. I've been loyal enough, haven't I? I'll definitely help if I can, and if I can't, I can at least pass on a message for you... But are you sure that changing the location is necessarily a good thing?"

“Yes, I know. At the time, the plaintiff's family members were public officials in the same jurisdiction, and they couldn't save face... Yes, I know. By then, public opinion had been rife, and the judgment had already taken effect. The higher-ups couldn't possibly contradict themselves over something like this…”

"But Lao Wang, don't you understand yet that the reason this mess has such a big impact isn't because you messed around recklessly?"

"If you really just mess around and fabricate some evidence to solidify Shu Yu's guilt, then that's fine..."

"It's just another corrupt official, which fits the public's stereotype of us..."

"But... damn it, 'Why did you help if you didn't hit him?' is really... disgusting."

……

Time is cut into tiny, barbed fragments.

"Train KXX has passed XX City and is expected to arrive in Yingtian City in 6 hours."

It was already very late at night.

The pale white light from the ceiling lamp in the ping-pong room made Wang De'an's face lose all color, leaving only a sallow, ashen complexion.

He huddled in the corner on a folding chair that someone had brought over, draped with a thin blanket that had been found somewhere, but he couldn't stop the chill that seeped from his bones, making him shiver from time to time.

The delivered boxed lunch was left untouched on the ground next to me, already cold, with congealed grease floating on the surface of the soup, making it look nauseating.

He tried to force himself to take a bite, but as soon as he swallowed it, his stomach churned and he almost threw it all up.

Fear pressed down on my stomach like a cold boulder, squeezing out all desire for food.

His saliva production was unusually high, and his mouth was dry and bitter. He could only sip mineral water in small amounts to moisten his throat, which felt like it was stuck together.

Time lost its scale, yet seemed to be stretched infinitely.

Every minute felt like an eternity.

He could clearly hear the pounding of his heart in his chest, sometimes so fast it felt like it was about to explode, and sometimes it would skip a beat for no reason, bringing a suffocating panic.