Slaughter Unit Base

Inside Situ Shibai’s office, he tapped his finger lightly on the desk. Instantly, the entire room shifted into monochrome.

【Projection Space: Creates a permanent virtual space. The maximum range expands with mental energy. Within this space, others' images can be activated to form controllable shadow entities that are restricted to operating only within the space.】

“Captain!”

A figure of Chen Ming appeared before Situ Shibai.

Lowering his gaze to the map, Situ Shibai asked, “Have you figured out the movements of the Investigation Unit?”

“Captain, according to the investigation, out of the 22 teams in the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the Investigation Unit, 19 teams started leaving Mingzhu City one after another in April. The remaining Monkey Team, Dog Team, and Pig Team still in the city have shown no unusual activity,” Chen Ming replied.

Situ Shibai gave a knowing smile. “Having no unusual activity is, in itself, the biggest anomaly. If I recall correctly, the captain of the Monkey Team is Xu Zheng, whose ability is the Scythe of Death. Anytime someone dies in Mingzhu City, his scythe automatically absorbs the concept of death. So many people have died recently—do you really think he would remain indifferent?

“And as for the Dog Team, Wang Huashi is a highly perceptive individual. If even some Adventurers have noticed certain things, it’s hard to believe that he hasn’t. Do you find that reasonable?

“On the other hand, the captain of the Pig Team, Su Su, stayed in Mingzhu City because of severe injuries and hospitalization. Chen Ming, investigate the severity of her injuries and review her recent mission logs for any suspicious details.”

The Investigation Unit was not directly responsible for Mingzhu City’s safety. Their primary mission was to collect data on Mutated Beasts and Barbarians, especially identifying new species of Mutated Beasts. They were tasked with investigating their abilities and maximum power levels.

The Skyborn Fox, as a previously unknown Mutated Beast, had silently infiltrated Mingzhu City. If not for Zhang Ping uncovering the matter, it would have taken the Slaughter Unit at least one to two months to figure it out—by then, it would have been far too late.

Thus, both the Investigation Unit and the Patrol Squad bore undeniable responsibility for the Skyborn Fox’s invasion.

The problem was that the Patrol Squad had been completely wiped out, making the surviving Investigation Unit teams all the more suspicious—especially the three teams remaining in the city. Why did they survive, and how were they completely unaware of what was happening?

After Zhang Ping’s first meeting with Liu Sishan, Situ Shibai had immediately tasked Shadow Guard Chen Ming with investigating these three teams. Now, it was evident that they were likely problematic.

After Chen Ming left to carry out his orders, Situ Shibai stared at the map, his gaze deepening.

This incident didn’t feel like a typical beast calamity; it bore the marks of human intervention.

His instincts, sharper than Chen Ming’s, told him that Mingzhu City wasn’t so easily infiltrated. With the Investigation Unit forming an outer perimeter against unknown Mutated Beasts and the Patrol Squad providing a solid defense, an external force would’ve had a hard time breaking through. Someone must have been aiding the enemy from within.

“Could it be the remnants of the Zhu family?”

The thought of events from two centuries ago flashed through Situ Shibai’s mind as he looked out the window.

“Since Sisi has returned, it’s time for me to visit the city and check out the young man she spoke so highly of.”

Still seated, his body suddenly split into two. One remained behind his desk, while the other stood up and walked toward the door.

【Flesh Split: Allows the body to divide into multiple entities, with each body sharing the same attributes. The more splits, the weaker the average strength of each.】

When the walking body opened the door, what lay beyond wasn’t the office corridor but a street in Mingzhu City.

【Shortcut Gate: Consumes physical and mental energy to create a door leading directly to a chosen destination. Maximum range: 100 kilometers.】

At dawn, Zhang Ping and Liu Sishan set off for Mingzhu City.

Over the past two days, without the interference of the Lunara King, the Slaughter Unit had managed to monitor the entire city. While they couldn’t stop the Lunara Prince’s feeding habits, every Mutated Beast approaching the city had been eliminated.

Now, Liu Sishan needed to temporarily assume Jin Bo’s responsibilities. If another Mutated Beast attacked the city, it would fall on her to lead the defense. This left Zhang Ping free for the time being.

After parting ways with Liu Sishan, Zhang Ping returned to the Iron Soul. For the past two days, Qiu Qiang hadn’t taken on any missions and had been helping take care of Liu Tiefeng at the shop. When Qiu Qiang saw Zhang Ping, he chuckled. “Back early? Weren’t you supposed to train for five days?”

Zhang Ping knew that Wang Jieming had used the excuse of a closed training session at the Beastlord Punch Gym to explain his absence.

He smiled and replied, “I’m a quick learner, so I finished early.”

With that, he prepared to head upstairs to drop off his luggage.

But just as he took a step forward, he sensed something was off. Looking back at Qiu Qiang and Liu Tiefeng, he noticed they were both frozen in place.

He quickly turned around and saw an elderly man with white hair and beard but a face devoid of many wrinkles. The man stood at the shop door with his hands behind his back, smiling. Yet, his eyes seemed to pierce through Zhang Ping with a single glance.

【Relative Time Stasis: Draws targets into a special space anchored to a specific moment in time. When the space is lifted, all creatures within return to the anchored time point.】

“Who are you?” Zhang Ping set down his luggage and asked cautiously.

Situ Shibai smiled and teased, “Don’t you have an Identification Skill? Why not use it and find out for yourself?”

【Identification failed】

【Identification failed6】

【Identification failed66】

【Identification failed666】

Zhang Ping remained silent. The difficulty of identifying the old man before him was even higher than Monotestis Orb. Yet deep down, he already knew the man's identity.

The voice was unmistakable—he had heard it before through Wind Whisperer. It belonged to none other than Situ Shibai, captain of the Slaughter Unit!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Situ Shibai suddenly burst into laughter as he stepped inside. Zhang Ping had been using his Identification Skill on him repeatedly, and Situ Shibai had noticed every single attempt. This only amused him further.

Most Awakeners with Identification Skills believed their actions to be undetectable, but Situ Shibai saw it differently. To him, Zhang Ping's eyes emitted invisible rays scanning his entire body. These rays, however, were blocked entirely by a protective layer around him, rendering every attempt futile.

[Information-Sealing Energy Membrane: Creates an invisible energy barrier over a surface, preventing it from being identified or seen through.]

"Stop trying to identify me," Situ Shibai said with a smile as he approached Zhang Ping. "I have an ability that blocks all identification. Even if you try a million times, you won’t get anything out of it."

Without further explanation, Situ Shibai brushed past Zhang Ping and headed upstairs. Zhang Ping hesitated for a moment before quickly following him.

Once upstairs, they sat in the living room. Situ Shibai leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp yet casual as if sizing up Zhang Ping. Zhang Ping, still on edge, couldn't shake the sense of awe and tension emanating from the man before him.

“How should I address you?”

Zhang Ping poured tea for Situ Shibai, then cautiously asked.

Situ Shibai’s hand paused just as it reached the teacup. He countered with a question, “Playing coy, are you? A name is meant for others to call you. It doesn’t really matter what you use. Or are you telling me you truly don’t know me, this old man’s name?”

The question was clearly a test.

Zhang Ping was testing whether Situ Shibai was aware of the secret—that Zhang Ping had used Wind Whisperer to eavesdrop on confidential matters of the Slaughter Unit.

However, Situ Shibai had no interest in playing mind games. He cut straight to the point, exposing the matter outright. Yet his willingness to bring it up also signaled that he did not intend to pursue it further.

"Mr. Situ, what brings you here today?"

Realizing that his thoughts had been seen through, Zhang Ping maintained a cautious and respectful demeanor as he asked the question.

Though Liu Sishan had softened her attitude toward him in the past two days, even showing some friendliness, she had not entirely dropped her guard. The Slaughter Unit likely still harbored doubts about him. Aside from his use of Wind Whisperer to gather secrets, Zhang Ping could think of no other reason for their suspicion.

Thus, he was genuinely puzzled about Situ Shibai’s purpose for this meeting at this particular moment.

"Zhang Ping, it's best not to overthink things when you lack the ability to block someone else's Mind-Reading Skill," Situ Shibai said, sipping his tea with a faint smile.

[Mind-Reading Skill: Allows the user to discern another's thoughts through direct eye contact.]

Zhang Ping instantly forced himself to calm down, purging his mind of any stray thoughts.

"Do you know," Situ Shibai began, setting his teacup down with deliberate slowness, "that ever since me, there hasn't been another Infinite Rank Awakener in Mingzhu City for over two centuries? I even investigated whether someone might be meddling behind the scenes. But the result seems to simply be that luck ran out."

[Luck-Nurturing Seed: Creates a 'luck seed' that can be applied to a city, organization, or individual, influencing their prosperity or decline based on the seed's condition.]

"Thankfully, after all these years, we've finally seen the emergence of another Infinite Rank Awakener. Tell me, how could I not come and take a look?" Situ Shibai said, glancing at Zhang Ping with a faint smile.

Zhang Ping now understood the reason for the meeting. But given that his earlier thoughts had been exposed, he kept his expression neutral and calmly poured more tea for Situ Shibai.

Situ Shibai tapped his fingers lightly on the teacup, signaling it was enough, and continued, "Moreover, there's something I've been very curious about—whether my ability can copy an Infinite Rank skill."

In the past, as the only Infinite Rank Awakener, he had only been able to copy skills below the Nation-Protector Rank. None had ever reached the Infinite Rank. He wasn’t sure if copying an Infinite Rank ability was even possible. This required Zhang Ping’s cooperation for testing.

"Of course, I wouldn’t ask for this test without giving something in return. Regardless of the outcome, I will give you two gifts and answer all your questions," he added, his gaze steady on Zhang Ping.

Zhang Ping, though doubtful, asked cautiously, "Mr. Situ, will your copying ability have any negative effects on me?"

"Ha ha ha, not at all. My copying ability doesn’t harm the other party. You can rest assured about that," Situ Shibai replied with a hearty laugh.

"Can I refuse?" Zhang Ping asked coolly yet cautiously.

"Of course. But why not take a look at my offer first?" Situ Shibai nodded and extended his hand. A black hole appeared beside him, from which he retrieved a long, exaggerated scythe and a golden bracelet.

After placing both items on the table, he explained, "This scythe is called the Fear Reaper Scythe. It can induce fear in any living being within three meters and has a blood-absorbing ability that allows it to evolve. In its early days, I used it to slaughter over a million Mutated Beasts, absorbing their blood to strengthen it. Its hardness and sharpness are now unmatched. Calling it a divine weapon would not be an exaggeration."

"This bracelet is the Golden Vault Bracelet. It connects to a 450-cubic-meter storage space. I'm sure you understand the significance of that," he said, pausing for Zhang Ping’s reaction.

Situ Shibai sipped his tea while waiting for Zhang Ping’s answer.

Zhang Ping’s gaze lingered on the scythe and bracelet, unable to deny their allure. The Fear Reaper Scythe, in particular, if paired with Nether Mist, would undoubtedly elevate his combat capabilities by an entire tier.

"If you're unsure, why not try identifying them first?" Situ Shibai suggested with an amused smile, noticing Zhang Ping’s internal struggle.

Zhang Ping’s eyes lit up as he activated his Identification Skill. After several failed attempts, the properties of the two items were finally revealed.

[Fear Reaper Scythe: This weapon can bind to its user. All living beings within three meters, excluding the user, will experience intense fear. The scythe absorbs blood to evolve; the more evolutions it undergoes, the more blood it requires. Current evolution count: 159.]

[Golden Vault Bracelet: Grants access to a 450-cubic-meter storage space when worn.]

As the items were identified, vivid images flooded Zhang Ping’s mind.

For the scythe, he saw a burly blacksmith forging it, throwing dozens of people into molten iron. Their screams echoed as black mist rose from the molten metal, forming a skull-shaped apparition in the air.

For the bracelet, the vision was even more horrifying. A woman was bound as molten gold was poured onto her body. Several Awakeners stood around her, channeling their abilities. Flames consumed her and the gold, leaving only smoke—and the bracelet—in their wake.

When the visions faded, Zhang Ping’s face was grim.

The Assassin Ring, Fear Reaper Scythe, and Golden Vault Bracelet—all these special items had been forged at the cost of human lives. The brutality was appalling.