Chapter 36: The Bull Terrier Mourning a Fallen Brother

The “Blood Feud” mahjong parlor was now packed with people.

The once-shattered chandelier had been replaced by the neighboring shop owner with a simple light bulb, illuminating the hall as if it were broad daylight.

Over thirty Chaos Faction players from the surrounding area stood there, wide-eyed and shivering as they stared at the crime scene.

The sight… it was gruesome, horrifically so.

By the mahjong table, Old Yin’s body was kneeling, his entire figure wrapped like a newborn in a large curtain. Just inches from his face lay a ten-yuan bill.

From the front, it looked as though he was bowing in reverence to the money.

The cause of his death was a blade that had pierced his neck, leaving a pool of blood on the floor.

This man had been obsessed with wealth. If he saw profit, he’d betray anyone—even endure humiliation to secure his gains. His death, grotesque as it was, seemed to match his character.

Nearby, the woman who had clamored for medicine earlier had died covered in festering sores. The middle-aged man who believed gambling was all about winning had half a mahjong tile stuffed in his mouth, with ten-yuan notes clenched in each hand. He lay peacefully on a sofa. As for the blunt yet foul-mouthed young man who always had a cigarette dangling from his lips, his tongue had been cut off and plastered onto his forehead.

The hall was filled with sinners, yet seeing their companions die so gruesomely made them shudder.

At the front of the crowd stood a burly young man in a tank top and a hip-hop-style cap. His eyes scanned the four corpses, his forehead veins bulging and chest heaving with anger.

His nickname was Bull Terrier, a core member of the Shanghai Stray Dogs gang and a trusted confidant of the cripple boss. His rank was just slightly higher than Old Yin’s.

“…Old Yin, oh Old Yin!” Bull Terrier’s eyes welled with tears as he bent down and grabbed Old Yin’s lifeless body. “Why did you have to die?!”

“Stay strong, Terrier bro,” a nearby player tried to console him.

“Stay strong, my ass!” Bull Terrier spun around and cursed angrily. “That bastard and I invested in a gym together! I paid the down payment first, and we even started renovations last month. How could he die now?!”

…

By the roadside on Tongren Road.

Several off-road vehicles came to a stop. Huang Wei and his team, having just arrived, peered through the car windows toward the mahjong parlor’s entrance. Seeing the crowd of players gathered there made their hearts sink.

“What’s going on? Why are there so many people?” Ren Ye asked anxiously.

“There’s a strong smell of blood—very strong,” Gu Nian said, frowning slightly.

“Cars three and four, and the brothers from Huangjiang District, stay put. The rest of you, come with me,” Huang Wei instructed through the radio before stepping out of the vehicle.

Ren Ye followed Huang Wei and over a dozen Vigil Keepers, walking straight into the mahjong parlor under the watchful eyes of the Chaos Faction players gathered at the entrance.

The moment they entered, the Vigil Keepers froze in place.

They were first shocked by the sheer brutality of the scene, and then an irritable frustration began to rise within them.

Old Yin was dead!

They had arrived too late.

“Damn it!” 

Huang Wei loosened his collar and glared at Old Yin’s body, his jaw clenched.

Behind him, Ren Ye asked coldly, “Are these the targets we were after?”

“Yes,” a Vigil Keeper beside him confirmed with a nod.

As they processed the scene, Bull Terrier, who had been crouching by Old Yin’s corpse, stood up. Turning to Huang Wei with a look of feigned grief and anger, he said, “Honorable Vigil Keepers, I want to file a report! My dear brothers have been murdered… not only that, but the killer even posed their bodies. I think this is a blatant provocation against the Vigil Keeper organization and must be punished severely!”

His words dripped with mockery. After all, it was impossible for him not to know why the Vigil Keepers were here or the dirty deeds Old Yin had been involved in.

Huang Wei fixed him with a cold stare. “How did they die?”

“You’re asking me?” Bull Terrier’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he shrugged mockingly. “You’re the enforcers of the law! Shouldn’t you be the ones figuring out how they died?!”

The standoff between the two groups intensified, and the surrounding Chaos Faction players instinctively closed in on the Vigil Keepers.

“Swish!”

A soft glow appeared as a magic staff materialized abruptly in front of Gu Nian’s chest. She raised her voice, commanding, “Everyone back off!”

Her authoritative shout echoed through the room. Bull Terrier, still crouched by Old Yin’s corpse, waved a hand to his people, signaling them to stand down. Then, with a mocking tone, he turned back to Huang Wei and asked, “Do you need our cooperation? Just say the word.”

Huang Wei stared at him intently. “Do you know the details of the university town incident?”

Bull Terrier snorted dismissively. “What, you mean those two vagrants who died? So what?”

“Were they really vagrants? Or did they frequent this mahjong parlor?” Huang Wei stepped closer, pointing sharply at Bull Terrier’s chest. His voice grew colder with every word: “Are you telling me you don’t recognize them?!”

Bull Terrier bared his teeth in a grin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Huang Wei’s expression hardened. “Let me make this clear. Those Bell Society operatives crossed the core interests and boundaries of the Vigil Keepers. Their fate was sealed. And I promise you this—anyone who helped them will meet the same end. It won’t be pretty.”

“Oh, now I understand.” 

Feigning fear, Bull Terrier staggered back a couple of steps before crouching down again by Old Yin’s corpse. With an exaggerated tone, he addressed the dead man, “My dear brother, were you one of those criminals selling secrets to the Bell Society? Were you helping them hide out? Did you peddle yourself in this very room? Quick, get up and tell this esteemed Vigil Keeper… we need to cooperate with their investigation!”

The room fell silent. 

Ren Ye stood motionless, his gaze dark and brooding, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Bull Terrier suddenly froze, tilting his head as if listening closely to Old Yin’s lifeless, bloodied lips. Then, springing to his feet, he smirked at Huang Wei. “Oh! My brother just told me to ask if you have any evidence. If you do, he’ll plead guilty and surrender on the spot!”

The sarcasm and defiance were unmistakable, laced with mockery and outright contempt.

This was the typical attitude of Chaos Faction players toward the Vigil Keepers—hostile and resistant. Ever since the emergence of the Star Gate, this animosity had persisted, only somewhat tempered by a precarious balance of power.

“Oh, so you don’t have any,” Bull Terrier sneered, locking eyes with Huang Wei. “Heh. No evidence? Then why even talk?! Respected Vigil Keepers, please quickly find the murderer of my brother. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to escalate this to the Divine Arbitration Council—”

Before he could finish, Ren Ye’s hand shot out, grabbing the back of Bull Terrier’s collar and slamming him down forcefully.

“Swish!”

Bull Terrier’s body pulsed with a wave of Stellar Energy, but his head spun in dizziness as his consciousness faltered.

“Ren Ye, don’t act rashly!” Huang Wei’s voice called out.

Bang!

Ren Ye’s left hand clamped tightly around Bull Terrier’s neck and smashed his head into the mahjong table with a loud thud.

A glint of light flashed, and in an instant, an intricately crafted greatsword appeared in Ren Ye’s grasp.

“Slice!”

The blade gleamed coldly as it cut through Bull Terrier’s right ear like a knife through butter, splattering blood across half the table.

Decisive. Ruthless. Murderous intent on full display.

“I’m not a Vigil Keeper! I don’t need to show you evidence!” Ren Ye’s eyes glimmered with an eerie brilliance as he roared, his left hand pressing Bull Terrier’s neck. His voice was a mix of rage and desperation. “Where are the Bell Society operatives? Speak!”

“Ren Ye!” 

Xu Peng stepped forward, grabbing Ren Ye’s arm. “Calm down—”

“My family is in danger. Get out of my way!” Ren Ye flung Xu Peng aside, his face etched with killing intent. He was just about to lock eyes with Bull Terrier to unleash his charm ability in full view of everyone.

Old Yin was dead, the trail had gone cold again, and Ren Ye, consumed with worry for his father’s safety, had lost all patience.

Huang Wei hesitated for a moment, uncharacteristically refraining from immediate intervention.

Meanwhile, the other Vigil Keepers quickly surrounded Ren Ye, their gazes shifting warily to the Chaos Faction players, who had all activated their supernatural states in unison.

A major clash was about to break out.

Ren Ye moved his thoughts, gripping Bull Terrier’s head with his left hand, ready to lock eyes with him.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a dull sound echoed in the room, and Ren Ye’s body was hurled backward, stumbling into Huang Wei.  

Startled, he looked toward the doorway, feeling as though he’d just been hit by a train. However, his body showed no significant injuries.  

Footsteps echoed as a refined-looking middle-aged man entered the room with four others. He glanced at the Chaos Faction players, and they immediately backed away, retracting their abilities.  

“Damn it!”  

Bull Terrier sprang up in a fury, clutching the wound on his right cheek, his gaze vicious as he glared at Ren Ye. “I’m going to kill you…!”  

“Stop!”  

The middle-aged man standing at the doorway barked an order.  

Bull Terrier’s chest heaved as he stared daggers at Ren Ye. After three or four seconds, he finally took two steps back.  

“Have we broken any laws?” The refined man turned to Huang Wei and asked.  

“I didn’t say you broke any laws.” Huang Wei glanced at the severed ear on the table, waved a hand, and ordered, “Let’s go!”  

With that, the group began pulling Ren Ye along, following Huang Wei out of the room.  

The middle-aged man blocked the doorway, speaking deliberately: “If no laws were broken, what gives a Vigil Keeper the right to chop off someone’s ear?”  

Huang Wei stepped closer to the man, slowly raising his head. “Do you believe I’ll ditch my Vigil Keeper uniform tonight and clear you Stray Dogs off Tongren Road?”  

The middle-aged man fell silent.  

“Don’t push your luck!” Huang Wei snapped before frowning and ordering, “Let’s go!”  

The group left the mahjong parlor.  

“You’re just going to let them leave like that?!” Bull Terrier fumed, kicking Old Yin’s corpse across the room. “I refuse to accept this. I’ll call some people and give them trouble.”  

The middle-aged man looked at him. “The higher-ups are fighting over that Star Gate legacy. Don’t stir the pot. You’ve already offended Huang Wei today—lay low for a few days and take a Star Gate mission. Got it?”  

“Got it!” Bull Terrier gritted his teeth, trembling with anger.  

…

On the way back, everyone was silent.

Huang Wei adjusted his mood and spoke softly, “Someone’s beaten us to the punch; it seems they’re also after those Bell Society members. Besides, the crime scene at the mahjong parlor really felt like…”

“Hold up, I need to take a leak,” Ren Ye, who had been silent, suddenly interjected.  

“Alright.” Huang Wei pulled over by the roadside, preparing to get out with him.  

“I’m just peeing. No need to come along.” Ren Ye dismissed him and walked toward the roadside woods.  

Huang Wei rested his head on his hand, looking pensive. “Damn it, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t just one group causing trouble—or even two groups…”  

The others listened to his analysis without speaking. Only Gu Nian cast a strange glance toward the woods.  

After about five minutes, Huang Wei sensed something was off. Activating his profession’s perception, his expression froze. “Crap, Ren Ye’s gone! Damn it, that guy’s lost his head again…”  

“Smack!”  

Gu Nian suddenly grabbed his wrist. “Has your father ever been kidnapped?”  

“? What are you doing?”  

“If someone’s father were kidnapped, they’d be anxious as hell,” Gu Nian said calmly, staring at Huang Wei. “If they weren’t, they’d be heartless scum. Tell me, are you heartless scum?”  

“…!” Huang Wei frowned at her but didn’t move further.  

“He’s not a Vigil Keeper at the moment… the Restriction Curse doesn’t work on him,” Gu Nian said softly. “Let him run for a while, and then we’ll catch up. Okay?”  

…

One hour later.  

Bull Terrier had left Tongren Road, sniffling miserably as he held a phone. “Find me a Light-system player who can heal injuries fast… My ear’s gone. Yeah, keep me posted.”  

After hanging up, he walked a few more steps along a construction site before suddenly stopping in his tracks. Turning abruptly, he stared toward his rear.