After walking to the vicinity of his target, Chen Chuan found it was a residential area. The buildings here were old, the paint on the street guardrails was peeling, the connecting rods were dented from being stepped on, and the streetlights had long been broken. Only a few pedestrians dotted the road.

Here, he could barely see any light and shadow effects through his Realm Token. Most of the people living here were likely non-citizens.

He glanced at his Realm Token. According to the previous positioning, the incident had occurred behind a building less than two hundred meters away.

In addition to the suspicious commission, he had also found related news reports stating that flocks of dead birds were frequently discovered in this area.

That alone wouldn’t have been much. It could have been some kind of chemical leak, a disease among the birds, or they might have flown into windows they couldn’t see.

But after every such incident, many locals claimed to have seen a massive, bird-like shadow sweep across the sky.

One person even went to investigate the scene and said that sometimes, in the reflection of a window, he would see a figure standing behind him, smiling. The problem was, this figure had a human head and a bird’s body. But when he turned around to look, there was nothing there.

Such news was terrifying and highly attention-grabbing. But the citizens mostly treated it as a strange tale and rarely followed up.

Although there was a commission to investigate the incident, the source didn’t seem to be a local. It looked more like some rich person looking to satisfy their curiosity.

It didn’t take long for Chen Chuan to find the place where the birds had fallen. It was on the roof of a residential building, and in a corner, he could still see numerous feathers caked in filth and dust.

Just then, he noticed what looked like patterned graffiti on a nearby guardrail.

He walked over and examined it closely, discovering that they were actually Esoteric Buddhist patterns.

’So, this isn’t an urban legend, but... an Esoteric Ritual?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

In his judgment, this Esoteric Buddhist pattern was extremely amateurish, merely a crude imitation of certain designs.

Esoteric Buddhist patterns weren’t something just anyone could draw. To achieve the intended effect, one needed extreme precision, full emotional investment, and a clear understanding of what they were doing and what they wanted to obtain.

With chaotic emotions, no clear purpose, and a messy drawing, what effect could it possibly have? Perhaps make someone feel a bit drowsy? However, many people in Central City seemed to have a habit of abusing drugs. If someone high on drugs came here, the effect could be amplified, possibly causing all sorts of hallucinations.

Whether that was the case or not, he walked a full circle around the area, but no phantom appeared on his Second Self. That meant either there was no urban legend here, or it had already been cleared out by someone else.

He wasn’t disappointed by this. He had been mentally prepared when he set out, not expecting to figure everything out on his first try. This was only the first location for the day; he still had several other places to check. So, he descended from the rooftop and left the residential area.

At that moment, on the outskirts of the residential area, a dozen or so men carrying various tools and weapons had already gathered. At their leader’s command, they dispersed and hid in the surroundings.

The man watched from a distance, a relaxed look on his face. This wasn’t the first time they had done something like this. His men were experienced and wouldn’t make any mistakes.

He could tell Chen Chuan’s background with a single glance. A mid-tier Realm Token meant he had some money, but not a lot. He had probably come to Central City to stay with a relative.

They had seen plenty of people like him. They would get a temporary residence permit through a sponsor, then scramble to find a job before it expired.

Afterward, even if they lost their citizenship status, most employers wouldn’t fire them. In fact, they were happy to hire them for lower wages. Not only could they work people to death, but they also didn’t have to bear any responsibility if something went wrong.

This target had likely practiced a Fighting Skill, but that didn’t matter. This wasn’t their first time dealing with a Fighter.

And a young Fighter was actually a perfect target. Youth meant their strength wouldn’t be too high, and being a Fighter meant their organs and Mutated Tissues were healthy and strong, which would fetch a better price.

As Chen Chuan walked back the way he came, he noticed that the few pedestrians who had been scattered on the street had vanished. The surroundings had become silent. His expression remained calm as he continued forward.

Just then, several canisters were thrown from the surrounding alleys and corners, landing on the ground. A pungent smell instantly erupted, and as thick smoke billowed out, a faint odor spread. It was paralysis gas, specifically designed to deal with powerful Fighters.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed all around. Through the smoke, several men wielding steel batons coated in black rubber rushed toward him from the front. From the side, two other men raised launchers. BANG! Two electrified Large Nets unfurled and flew toward him.

The leader watched from behind with confidence. Once the nets enveloped someone, they couldn’t break free. A merciless beating with steel batons would quickly neutralize a Fighter. After that, all they had to do was worry about transport and getting a good price.

But just as he had that thought, he saw Chen Chuan walk out of the thick smoke, seemingly unharmed, his eyes eerily calm.

The leader froze, his expression flickering. A moment later, he spat out his cigarette and turned to run.

But he didn’t get far. A small stone flew from behind and, with a CRACK, struck the back of his head. He involuntarily stumbled forward and collapsed, unmoving. A fluid, a mixture of blood and Implant tissue fluid, trickled out from the wound.

Behind him, the smoke was slowly dissipating, revealing a dozen or so men with twisted bodies scattered about. Some were draped over a guardrail, while others were plastered against a wall with their chests caved in, as if they had been embedded into it.

Chen Chuan’s pace didn’t falter in the slightest. As he passed the leader’s corpse, he glanced at it. A quick search based on the man’s build and face revealed he had a criminal record and was a suspected trafficker of organs and Mutated Tissues.

’Judging by the tools they were carrying, they were probably trying to capture me alive, then part me out and sell me.’

All of these men had Implants, which made their movements swift, and they were well-equipped. A normal Fighter, even one wearing Protective Clothing, could easily have been taken down if they weren’t careful.

He left the scene directly, with no intention of reporting it to the security patrol. Perhaps their accomplices would do something after finding the bodies, but that had nothing to do with him.

After leaving the area, he went to check the other target locations, but he found nothing there either.

It was now afternoon. He considered his options and decided that searching like this was too inefficient. It would be better to have Old Qi run the queries for him. After all, it would be simpler for him as the client, costing only some extra fees at most.

He brought up his contact interface, looked at Old Qi’s profile picture, and tapped it. After a moment, Old Qi’s slightly weary voice came through. "Chen, what can I do for you?"

Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Qi, I’d like to talk to you about the commission."

Old Qi’s spirits lifted. "Great, great! It’s just..." He gave a bitter laugh. "I’m in a bit of trouble right now. I might not be able to get out for a while. Do you think you could wait until I’m out..."

"Did something happen?"

Old Qi sighed. "I’ve been detained by the patrol. I need to pay a fine, and I’m trying to scrape the money together right now, so you might have to wait."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, asked about the amount of the fine, and said, "I can front you the money for the fine, but I need your help with something."

Hearing this, Old Qi immediately agreed and thanked him profusely.

Chen Chuan said, "Wait for me. I’m coming over."

One Hour later, Chen Chuan led Old Qi out of a city security patrol post. They sat on a bench by a roadside planter. Old Qi first chugged a bottle of water, and after finishing, he slumped back against the bench, dejected.

After a while, he said slowly, "They confiscated all the money I just made from that private job. It was the most I’ve earned in years, and now those bastards have it all."

"Those guys showed up right after I finished the job. I’ve been thinking, it’s probably because they got my license plate number when we got away from that border patrol. They might have been watching me these past few days, just waiting to cause trouble. That’s why they timed it so perfectly this time. Fuck!"

Chen Chuan said, "Then you’re actually pretty lucky, Mr. Qi. If it were for something else, you might not have gotten out as easily as you did today."

"That’s true." Old Qi perked up a bit. He looked up at Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, I owe you big time for today. Right, I haven’t even asked why you were looking for me."

Chen Chuan said, "I need to take on some special commissions right now, but I don’t want to deal with the commission companies."

Old Qi understood immediately. He said, "I get it. You handle the commissions, and I find ways to deal with all the other problems?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "That’s the idea."

Old Qi said with some difficulty, "Brother Chen, you think too highly of me. You’re a proper student of Wuyi Academy, someone who lives in the Profound Palace Building. The commissions you take must be extraordinary. I’m just..."

Chen Chuan said, "These commissions don’t involve any personal grudges or vendettas. They’re just special commissions. You can make demands regarding the payment, and I’m not forcing you."

Hearing this, Old Qi’s eyes flickered. School was about to start. If he didn’t pay his daughter’s tuition on time, she would be expelled from school without a second thought.

To survive in Central City, aside from having the natural talent to become a Fighter, the only other way was through education. But education was extremely expensive, forcing him to run around everywhere trying to scrape together the fees.

At this thought, he gritted his teeth, rubbed his face hard, and stood up. "Brother Chen, I’m in!"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Mr. Qi, you don’t have to be like this. I’ve only just arrived in Central City myself and am just trying to earn some money. The thing is, if I do this alone, I’ll have a pile of troublesome things to deal with, and I won’t get anything done."

Old Qi nodded in understanding. "What do you need me to do?"

Using his Realm Token, Chen Chuan transferred the suspicious commissions to Old Qi. "For these kinds of things, I need you to first look up the specific details for me."

"Okay, right away."

An orange light flickered in one of Old Qi’s eyes. After a moment, he said in surprise, "Brother Chen, so you were asking about paranormal event commissions. But... there’s already a group of people who handle this kind of thing..."

...

...