Chapter 80: The Massacre Unveiled

9:30 a.m.

Within the offices of the Six Gates Bureau in Shanghai, Bao Long sat in his office, perusing a case file.

This was a case involving a new illegal drug called Paradise Dust, which was selling well. It was being peddled in bars, KTV lounges, and even schools. The packaging looked innocuous, but the harm was immense—it was highly addictive and contained some mysterious malevolent force yet to be fully understood.

The Bureau’s Technical Support Division was currently analyzing the drug’s composition.

Bao Long’s task was to apprehend the organization behind the sale of Paradise Dust.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Without looking up, he said, “Come in.”

The door opened, and a young officer hurried in, holding a newspaper. He spoke urgently, “Inspector Bao, there’s been a terrible incident. You need to see this breaking news!”

Bao Long didn’t scold him for his panic. He took the paper; the headline was glaring.

“Six Members of the Prestigious Zhang Family in Shanghai Brutally Murdered!”

The accompanying photo showed a spacious, lavishly furnished living room. But on the wall, written in fresh blood, were two shocking characters: “Heaven’s Wrath.”

There were also several censored images, but one could still make out corpses lying in pools of blood.

Bao Long’s eyes skimmed the article rapidly, his square-jawed face growing grim.

Such explosive news had been scooped by journalists before the authorities even got word.

He slapped his palm on the desk, furious. “What is the Intelligence Division even doing?!”

The officer gave a wry smile. “All the servants were knocked unconscious on the second floor by the killer; it was only when reporters came to interview that their commotion woke them up.”

“Why on earth would reporters go to the Zhang family for interviews out of the blue?”

“It’s related to Zhang Jiacheng,” the officer explained, recounting the situation. “There’s been a sensational story on the international web—one hundred and fifty-six girls and half-bloods were illegally imprisoned and trafficked for the pleasure of the rich on St. James Island.

“Among those involved were twenty-three prominent Americans. Zhang Jiacheng was the only Asian present, which put the media’s spotlight on the Zhang family.”

“The election is over, and something like this still comes out?” Bao Long was surprised.

The officer continued, “It was King Zeus who called the press conference and broke the story, claiming he had been investigating these people for a long time. But before he arrived, a white light descended from the sky and killed all the socialites at the gathering.

“The rescued girls claimed it was a miracle from the Lord—that their prayers were heard by the Almighty, who sent divine punishment on those people.

“It’s sent the believers on the internet into a frenzy, proclaiming a manifestation of God.”

“God? Hmph.” Bao Long snorted in disbelief; he did not think gods existed in this world.

The deities worshipped in today’s religions were just personas crafted by ancient spirit masters to facilitate their rule over the people. Even in the modern age, there were still spirit masters using the name of God to maintain their power.

Most African countries, India, and others were typical theocracies.

The United States could be considered a semi-theocracy. Every president had to place their hand on the Bible and swear an oath to the all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Anyone with ambition would link themselves to the favor of some deity.

Bao Long despised such trends, but there was nothing he could do.

All he could manage was to keep order in Xia Country.

He spoke in a low voice, “Notify the Intelligence Division immediately. I want the Zhang family’s recent call records and internet activity; compile a list of potential suspects.”

“Yes, sir,” the officer replied respectfully.

Others might seek to avoid such thorny cases, but Bao Long was a renowned tough guy in the Six Gates Bureau—he thrived on difficult assignments.

...

Soon, Bao Long arrived before Villa 79 in Crescent Moon Court.

A fine drizzle had just ceased, but the sky remained overcast, thick clouds hanging so low it seemed another downpour could come at any moment.

The doors of the European-style manor stood open. On the ground by the entrance, a jumble of footprints was clearly visible—left by the throng of reporters earlier.

By now, the reporters had been cleared out.

This had nothing to do with the Six Gates Bureau; the ones who cleared the scene were disciples of the Purple Sky Sword Sect.

The Zhang family had long showered the sect with generous funding. If the sect didn’t react at all to this tragedy, why would other patrons continue to invest?

Their support was not merely for the future of the sect—it was to purchase protection.

Bao Long cast a stern glance at the two disciples at the door. “Leave the investigation to us at the Six Gates Bureau.”

“Of course. We’re only here to help protect the scene,” one replied.

Luo Lingxi flashed into view at the entrance.

The two disciples visibly relaxed.

It was good to have someone from above in charge.

Bao Long’s expression remained tight. “Miss Luo, have you found any traces of spiritual pressure?”

“None at all,” Luo Lingxi replied. “According to nearby residents, there was no noise beforehand, so the place must have been sealed off with a barrier.

“This residence was inscribed with our sect’s high-level wards—Eightfold Mirror Gates. It would take a ninth-tier spirit master some time to break through. Yet the killer broke the barrier and carried out the murders in less than three minutes.”

She paused, then continued, “The Zhang family employed twenty-four guards from Shanghai’s security force, with abilities ranging from sixth to eighth tier.

“Four guards responsible for maintaining the barrier had their throats slit. Six were burned to ashes in the courtyard. Of the remaining fourteen, some were killed by punches, some by palm strikes, others by sword wounds—the methods varied.

“From the scene, this was a premeditated, organized assault by multiple perpetrators.

“Also, Zhang Jiacheng was killed on St. James Island, which makes me think the two incidents are connected.”

After hearing Luo Lingxi’s analysis, Bao Long frowned slightly. “You mean, in order to kill Zhang Jiacheng, the perpetrators wiped out everyone on St. James Island, including the Blood Moon Council’s Fred?”

“Don’t you think the timing is too coincidental? There’s likely more to this than we imagine,” Luo Lingxi’s voice was like a clear spring, yet tinged with weight. “Why did Zhang Jiacheng go to that island? Why would someone as important as Fred meet with him? Who could kill a vampire prince in an instant?”

Her questions acted as keys, opening the door to Bao Long’s doubts.

Fred was the right-hand man of the Scarlet Queen. His death would surely destabilize the international situation.

Who would dare pull the whiskers of that tigress?

Bao Long fell into deep thought.

A rustling among the courtyard’s leaves—a figure darted swiftly, landing behind Bao Long and speaking in a low voice, “Inspector Bao, we discovered that at 7:54 this morning, Zhang Zeju placed a special order via the Demon-Hunting App to the head of Azure Cloud Sect.

“He asked him to help find his kidnapped eldest son, Zhang Xu. He may have been the last to see Zhang Zeju alive.”

“Zhang Xu was kidnapped, and they asked the White Sect Master to retrieve him?” Bao Long’s eyes flashed with suspicion.

With such an incident, even if the Zhangs didn’t go to the authorities, they should have turned to the Purple Sky Sword Sect.

Why involve Bai Yujing?

He felt as muddled as King Louis XVI, unable to make heads or tails of the situation.