Chapter 61: Fury

Chapter 61: Fury

At this moment, Chen Shouyi suddenly thought of his sister, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Fifteen or sixteen years old—wasn’t that around his sister’s age?

Just as he was about to hurry home to check on her, two black cars sped over and screeched to a halt near the crowd, the tires letting out a piercing squeal.

With a series of heavy thuds, the car doors slammed shut.

Eight men in black suits stepped out of the vehicles, their faces cold and imposing. Their powerful auras and swift strides made them seem intimidating—clearly not people to be trifled with.

The crowd quickly scattered, clearing a path.

As the group walked past, they strode over the police tape without hesitation. A young officer seemed about to step forward to stop them, but an older policeman pulled him back and warned, “Don’t cause trouble. They’re from that side.”

The young officer’s expression immediately changed, his eyes flickering with a trace of awe.

“We’re from the Third Investigation Division. This scene is now under our jurisdiction,” the leader of the black-suited men said coldly, pulling out a badge from his chest and flashing it briefly.

He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, tall and broad-shouldered, with a stern, square-jawed face that exuded an air of righteous authority.

Soon, a middle-aged police officer who seemed to be in charge strode over, and the two shook hands. “I’ve long heard of Captain Xia’s reputation. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“No need for formalities, Deputy Director Zheng. Compared to ‘Captain Xia,’ I’d prefer you just call me ‘Xia,’” the black-suited man replied curtly, withdrawing his hand swiftly.

The middle-aged officer remained unruffled, smiling amiably. “Of course, Captain Xia. Is there anything we can assist you with?”

“Assist? No need. This incident is extremely dangerous. You can all stand down.”

…

After watching for a while, Chen Shouyi turned and left.

Just then, the leader of the black-suited men suddenly glanced at the retreating figure of the young man, his brow furrowing slightly.

“What’s wrong, Captain?”

“Nothing. Let’s head inside,” he replied, shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile. He must have been too tense—how could a mere teenager give him a sense of danger?

…

On the way back, Chen Shouyi’s heart felt heavy.

Did the invasion of the Otherworld’s Force Field mean that the tendrils of the Otherworld’s Deities had already begun extending here?

Humanity was in danger!

For nearly two decades, the two worlds had maintained an uneasy peace.

But it wasn’t because either side was inherently peaceful.

Looking at humanity’s brief history of civilization, humans had never been a peace-loving species—war was practically a constant theme.

And the Deities of the Otherworld, with their endless pursuit of faith, were no gentle herbivores either.

The reason the two worlds had managed to sustain this prolonged peace was due to the environmental constraints of each realm. Whichever side entered the other’s world would suffer severe limitations.

Even beings as powerful as Deities, once they set foot on Earth, would find their divine power dissipating and their supernatural abilities fading. At best, they’d become ordinary creatures with exceptionally strong physiques—hardly a match for humanity’s weapons of mass destruction.

Humans, on the other hand, faced even greater restrictions. Almost all modern weaponry would turn into useless scrap the moment it entered the Otherworld.

The word “almost” was key—because there was still one type of weapon that remained functional.

That's a nuclear weapon!

This human-made weapon, currently the most powerful in existence, relies on atomic fission or fusion to unleash its devastating force and remains entirely unaffected by the mysterious force field of the Otherworld. It is also the only weapon humanity possesses that can serve as a deterrent against the Otherworld.

However, limitations in deployment capabilities have significantly diminished its effectiveness.

Over the years, the development of Martial Arts among humans has advanced rapidly, yet becoming a Martial Artist remains a rare achievement. In Dongning City, with its population of nearly a million, the total number of Martial Artists likely doesn’t exceed ten fingers. As for those above—Great Martial Artists—there isn’t a single one.

Moreover, even a Great Martial Artist can only cautiously explore the Otherworld, where a single misstep could lead to disaster. If Earth and the Otherworld were to fully merge, this fragile peace would likely shatter in an instant. How much resistance could humanity muster then?

And faced with the temptations of the Otherworld’s deities, how many could remain steadfast?

Between life and death lies immense terror. The fear of death and what lies beyond is the most fundamental dread of all living beings. Even illusory deities have countless followers—how much more so for the undeniably real gods of the Otherworld?

...

With the stable supply at the farmers' market these past few days, the family restaurant had resumed operations today.

As soon as Chen Shouyi returned home, barely escaping Chen Mu’s nagging, he immediately asked his parents about his sister’s whereabouts. Only when Chen Mu mentioned that she had just come home did he finally relax.

Good, his sister was unharmed.

When he went upstairs, he saw Chen Xingyue silently practicing with her alloy sword in the living room, her expression blank, as if she didn’t even notice his arrival. The recent events nearby must have weighed heavily on her.

After watching for a while, Chen Shouyi was about to head to his room to put down his briefcase when Chen Xingyue suddenly thrust her sword toward his arm.

Instinctively, he sidestepped, effortlessly dodging the attack.

"What’s wrong with you? Are you insane?"

At his current level, a Martial Artist Apprentice like his sister was no match for him. Even distracted, he could evade her with ease.

Chen Xingyue said nothing, her face expressionless as she swung her sword horizontally in a Slash.

She just wouldn’t let it go!

Annoyed, Chen Shouyi knew that if he didn’t dodge, while he wouldn’t be injured, his clothes would likely be sliced open by the sharp blade. His hand moved like a blur, instantly gripping the flat of the alloy sword. With a slight shake and a firm pull, the weapon was wrenched from her grasp and now in his hand.

"What’s gotten into you?"

"Waaah!" Chen Xingyue suddenly broke down, bursting into loud, hysterical sobs.

Chen Shouyi froze. He hadn’t seen Chen Xingyue cry since she entered middle school—and never like this, so violently and uncontrollably.

He realized something terrible must have happened.

"Xingyue, what’s wrong? What happened?"

Chen Xingyue wept for nearly half an hour before choking out between sobs, "Brother... wu wu wu! Zhang Qianru and Lu Shuyuan... they’re dead!"

Chen Shouyi’s face twisted in shock.

Those two were Chen Xingyue’s closest friends. He had even met them once during her Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment. He couldn’t believe they were gone.

"How... how did they die?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

"They were killed by the... cult members."

Chen Shouyi suddenly recalled the bodies the police had carried out earlier, sending a chill down his spine. But he quickly realized something was off—this incident had just happened, and the police had only arrived shortly before he did.

He hurriedly asked, "How do you know?"

"E-earlier this morning... they came to my house to invite me to go shopping. On the way, we ran into someone handing out flyers, saying a cosmetics company was about to close down and was selling everything at a discount. We didn’t suspect anything, so... so we went." She spoke between sobs, her face pale.

Listening to his sister’s fragmented account, Chen Shouyi finally understood.

The moment the three of them arrived, they were immediately restrained. Chen Xingyue had no chance to resist.

From her description, aside from over twenty other deceived young women like them, there were dozens of cult members, each wearing mysterious black hooded robes, their faces obscured.

What’s more, some of them were incredibly powerful—there were even genuine Martial Artists among them.

Chen Shouyi’s expression darkened. He had assumed they were just dealing with ordinary people, maybe a few Martial Artist Apprentices at most. He never expected actual Martial Artists to be involved. He quickly asked, "Then how did you escape?"

"D-during the ritual... I was standing near a window. When they weren’t paying attention, I... I mustered the courage to smash the glass and jumped. Luckily... it wasn’t a high floor, and there was an awning outside the shop below, so I didn’t die from the fall."

At the mention of the ritual, her face twisted in terror, her entire body trembling.

"But... Qianru and Shuyuan never came out. After I escaped, I went to the police, but... it was already too late."

Chen Shouyi felt a surge of dread listening to her. Seeing the fear, unease, and overwhelming guilt on Chen Xingyue’s face, a fierce rage ignited in his chest.