Kanoru and Yun Ming sat on the first floor of a restaurant, eating the food laid out before them. Four hours had passed since they left the City Guard headquarters. Lei had taken his men along with some of Yun Ming's to investigate the fifty-seven suspects. With nothing to do and their stomachs growling, Kanoru and Yun Ming entered a restaurant that had opened at dawn.
As they ate, Yun Ming finally asked, "Why were you checking them?"
Kanoru, unable to tell him about vampires, simply said, "Wait. Once I have all the information, I'll explain."
Time passed. The sun climbed higher, casting its light over the bustling streets as they filled with people.
Lei entered the restaurant, walked over to their table, and dropped into an empty chair. "Among the fifty-seven suspects, eight had family members who died after they returned," he reported.
Yun Ming's eyes narrowed. "How did their families die?"
Lei glanced at Kanoru before replying, "Nothing suspicious. Their families died in accidents or robberies. We even caught the culprits."
Hearing this, Yun Ming turned his gaze to Kanoru, waiting for his direction.
Kanoru rested his chopsticks on the table. "The dead victims all died peacefully—no signs of struggle. That only happens if they were drugged or hypnotized."
Lei raised a brow. "So?"
Kanoru's eyes hardened. "Bring in all eight for questioning."
Lei frowned. "We need a reason to detain them."
Yun Ming waved him off. "We don't need one. We can summon them for a short period without justification."
Kanoru nodded. "That's fine."
Without another word, he pushed back his chair and rose, heading toward the exit. Yun Ming and Lei followed.
Outside, Yun Ming handed the list of the eight individuals to his men. "Bring them in for questioning."
The three of them then climbed into a nearby carriage and rode to the nearest Black Ice Guard office.
Half an hour later, they sat in a room, casually playing chess while they waited.
Suddenly, a man burst into the room, breathless.
Yun Ming glanced up sharply. "What happened?"
The man took a breath, then explained. He and his team had gone to retrieve one of the suspects, whose home was in the Red area, allowing them to arrive quickly. They explained to the man that they had discovered new clues regarding his family's murder case and asked him to come with them.
The man, suspicious, demanded to know the reason. The guards told him he would be informed once they reached the office. The man insisted he was busy with work and promised to come later. When the guards pressed, he made more excuses, but they didn't relent.
Finally, the man agreed to come but said he needed to change his clothes first. The guards allowed it, but after five minutes passed with no sign of him, they broke into the house.
Inside, they found no trace of the man. After searching the place, they discovered he had escaped through a dog hole leading to an alley behind the house.
The guard lowered his head. "Lord, please forgive me. I let him escape."
Yun Ming's eyes hardened. "I'll deal with you later."
Without wasting time, he murmured a spell, forming intricate incantations with his fingers. Seven blue light pigeons manifested in his palm and shot out the window, streaking across the sky.
Turning to Kanoru, Yun Ming said, "Sorry. My men let the suspect escape."
Kanoru, however, was unbothered. In fact, he was relieved. The man's escape confirmed his guilt. If the suspect had come willingly, Kanoru wouldn't have known how to expose him. Now, he didn't have to. The man had revealed his own guilt by fleeing.
As time passed, more reports came in.
The next two suspects escaped the same way—the guards hadn't received the magical message in time and arrived too late.
However, when the guards reached the homes of the remaining five, they were prepared. Receiving Yun Ming's warning, they moved in forcefully.
One suspect complied without resistance.
The other four fought back.
One managed to escape.
The remaining three battled the guards viciously, fighting to the death rather than be taken.
Now, in a large medical room where the Black Ice Guard examined bodies, three corpses lay on wooden benches. The room reeked of blood and death.
Yun Feng arrived with two captains after hearing the news. Moments later, an old man entered, followed by a younger man and a woman.
Yun Feng's eyes flickered with relief. "Physician Ren, you came."
The old man nodded curtly. "What do you need me to do?"
Yun Feng gestured toward the bodies. "See if you can find anything from their corpses."
He glanced at the lifeless forms, his eyes narrowing. "They look like ordinary humans, but when they fought, their eyes turned red. Two teeth grew into fangs, and their fingers transformed into sharp claws."
Physician Ren's gaze hardened. He studied the bodies for a moment, then shook his head. "I heard they were responsible for the blood-sucking corpses. Yes, but we only have three dead. Five escaped, and who knows how many more are hiding in the city."
He turned back to Yun Feng. "I'll see what I can find, but if we don't discover a clear distinction, identifying them among the normal citizens will be difficult."
Yun Feng's jaw tightened. "Do whatever it takes. We need a way to tell them apart."
Ren nodded and began his work.
Kanoru, watching the examination, knew that without a spell or some reliable method, it would be nearly impossible to uncover the remaining vampires. If they fled the city, tracking them would become even harder.
Still, the case was at least partially solved. He glanced at the two brothers and asked, "Should we consider the case solved?"
Yun Feng exhaled slowly. "We still have to capture the rest of the monsters, but our family will no longer be blamed. The punishment will stop."
He eyed Kanoru curiously. "But how did you discover them?"
Kanoru simply smiled. "It's a secret."
Yun Feng narrowed his eyes. "You can keep your secret for now, but if His Majesty asks us for an explanation..."
Kanoru shrugged. "Just mention me."
Yun Feng arched a brow. "Then you'll have to answer him yourself."
Kanoru's expression remained calm. "I'll deal with it when the time comes."
With that, he turned his gaze back to the autopsy, watching Ren work with unwavering focus.
---
In another palace, a large, opulent dining room lay shrouded in silence. A long table stretched across the chamber, where a family quietly ate their dinner. The only sounds were the faint clinking of utensils against porcelain.
Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed against the heavy doors, breaking the silence.
The man seated at the head of the table scowled. His voice was cold and sharp. "I said no one is to disturb me during dinner."
The doors creaked open, and a Black Ice Guard in full uniform stepped inside, bowing respectfully. "Lord, it's urgent."
The man's eyes narrowed. His voice dropped into a dangerous whisper. "It 'better' be important. Otherwise..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the threat lingered in the air. The guard clearly understood.
"The Pale Corpse case is solved," the guard declared.
The man shot up from his seat. "What?!" His voice reverberated through the hall. "How?"
Before the guard could answer, a sudden wave of spiritual energy tore through the palace. The walls shuddered. The wine in their goblets rippled. The air itself seemed to thrum with power.
The man's eyes widened in alarm. Without a word, he bolted from his seat and rushed outside.
Stepping into the open, he froze. Blood-red pillars of light pierced the sky from all directions, their glow so intense they turned the moon crimson. A low, unearthly hum filled the air.
Then, with a sharp 'crack', the sky itself fractured like shattered glass. A massive black hole tore open, swirling ominously. From its swirling depths, small specks emerged, multiplying with each passing second.
As they drew closer, the man's sharp eyes discerned their forms—monstrosities with the bodies of goats moving on two legs like men. Their grotesque forms were twisted mockeries of humanity, leathery wings stretching from their backs.
From the city below, elemental spells shot toward the creatures. Flames roared, ice shards slashed through the air, and bolts of lightning crackled. The monsters at the front were torn apart in droves.
But it didn't matter. The black hole continued to vomit forth more beasts, an unending tide. Worse still, the hole itself pulsed with malevolent energy, sending out devastating beams of raw power, ripping through the city below.
The man's hands clenched into fists as he stared at the apocalyptic scene. His voice was barely a whisper, yet filled with dread.
"This… this isn't a mere invasion…"