Chapter 12

At the top of the tower.

Liu Long left, leaving Li Hao alone.

"Bait..."

Li Hao muttered softly, finally understanding Liu Long's meaning.

This guy, who seemed rash, was actually a meticulous expert. His words were open and honest.

Not only that, but there was one thing Liu Long didn't say outright, but it was clear between the lines.

He, Liu Long, wouldn't burn the bridge after crossing it; he was a man of sentiment!

Yes!

This point was evident from Liu Long's repeated statements that he didn't want to investigate the informer in the enforcement team. This was actually Liu Long's way of expressing himself.

I can't bear to harm those who have betrayed me.

If you, Li Hao, are willing to help me, I won't be ungrateful.

This is what a true expert does!

He influences subtly, without saying it outright. But if you think about it, you can understand. Even for traitors, Liu Long wouldn't act out of sentiment. How much more so for others.

"Is he really so sentimental?"

Li Hao thought, not daring to fully believe or fully doubt.

These people are all too cunning.

Liu Long's words just now were filled with strategies, bluffs, feints, threats, and reason... In a short conversation, who knows how many brain cells Liu Long used.

"Killing superhumans, stripping their mystic energy, matching it to oneself, if one attempt fails, try again, and again... Can this make one a new superhuman?"

Li Hao suddenly felt a chill.

The world of superhumans doesn't seem so peaceful.

Even an ordinary person like Liu Long wants to kill superhumans to transform. What about superhumans themselves?

Perhaps even more dangerous!

No wonder these superhumans are so low-key, not showing themselves, probably to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Liu Long seems to have told me a lot, but in fact, he only touched on the surface, not delving deeper. He probably won't tell me much more unless I join the enforcement team."

For example, the specific cultivation methods, energy absorption methods, strength levels, and ability types of superhumans...

Liu Long didn't say any of these.

"Also, do I really have mystic energy, or is it just a ruse to make me lose my composure and admit that I took something from the Zhang family?"

Li Hao suspected this was very likely.

Liu Long didn't know one thing: Li Hao could see mystic energy, which was probably not a common ability.

That star-like energy was most likely mystic energy.

And Li Hao could see that he didn't have such energy on his body, otherwise, neither the red shadow nor the person behind it would have shown no reaction.

Liu Long was most likely bluffing!

However, Li Hao did see something faint on Liu Long, a faint star-like energy, very weak, probably mystic energy.

"Liu Long has killed superhumans and absorbed their mystic energy, but it hasn't reached a qualitative change yet, so there's still some mystic energy in his body. This means Liu Long really has the potential to become a superhuman."

Yes, he could see it.

Just like the red shadow!

Ordinary people can't see the red shadow, but Li Hao can.

Not just Liu Long, but the few team members around him also had some mystic energy, though not much.

The "we" he mentioned, Li Hao guessed, were probably those few team members, the alluring woman, Wu Chao who tracked and explored, and the other two team members.

Including Liu Long, there were five people in total, not the entire enforcement team.

It seems that within the enforcement team, there is a small group, the hunter alliance formed by Liu Long, specifically to hunt superhumans.

"Powerful weapons? Or other means?"

Superhumans are certainly not weak; otherwise, Liu Long wouldn't be so eager. However, some superhumans have died at their hands, which means this small group is quite formidable.

The time and place are on the side of the inspection office.

Using powerful weapons is also within the power of the inspection office. Even if someone investigates afterward, the enforcement team can easily brush it off. In this way, superhumans, if not careful, could be eliminated by these people.

Li Hao, with a vortex III with a range of only 50 meters, dared to target superhumans. How much more so for Liu Long.

Strictly speaking, this guy is actually the true head of the violent institution in Yincheng.

As for the head of the inspection office, he sits in an office and doesn't come to the front lines. The enforcement team is the front line, and Liu Long is the boss here.

...

Li Hao walked down from the top of the tower.

Thinking as he walked.

What would be the consequences if he refused?

Would Liu Long cause him trouble?

Would Liu Long inform the red shadow, or even tell them that the Zhang family's knife and the Li family's sword are with Li Hao?

Or would he simply kill him in secret?

"He looks like an open and honest man... but he's actually a ruthless guy!"

At this moment, Li Hao no longer thought of him as rash.

Even the inaction of the enforcement team might be intentional, to make outsiders and superhumans relax, thinking the Yincheng enforcement team is just a facade.

Showing weakness to the enemy!

"An informer... Haha, could it be that Liu Long deliberately cultivated one? Even if not, it's the result of his inaction. This guy definitely knows who the informer is, but he's just doing it on purpose!"

Li Hao's mind raced, and at this moment, he seemed to see many things clearly.

Liu Long of the enforcement team is definitely a key figure!

The chaos in the enforcement team is most likely intentionally created by him. This guy is too devious. No wonder he's called Liu Long, he's indeed rotten to the core!

After cursing in his heart, Li Hao began to think about whether joining them would be beneficial.

"Joining them would give me help in dealing with the red shadow, because Liu Long's target is these superhumans!"

"I don't know the night patrol well, and I don't know their situation, or even if they are related to the red shadow. If Liu Long and his people are really trying to become superhumans, they would be more dedicated, though their strength is weaker."

"But having experience in killing superhumans means they aren't without confidence."

At this moment, Li Hao was the next target of the red shadow.

With today's events, the red shadow side is probably already preparing to move against him.

"There's just one fear..."

Li Hao walked onto the street, lost in thought.

What is he afraid of?

He's afraid that... Liu Long is actually on the same side as the red shadow. That would be truly dangerous!

This is not impossible.

"In that case, I would be in real danger!"

Li Hao had to consider this possibility. If Liu Long is with the red shadow, then at this moment, he has almost exposed everything.

"Phew!"

His mood was heavy.

Tonight's move wasn't entirely smooth, with some twists. If Liu Long can really deal with the red shadow, that would be good. If not, he would be in even more danger.

...

Boom!

A loud noise, a large vehicle flattened the old Zhang family residence.

With a cloud of smoke, Li Hao watched silently from outside the old residence, as if seeing Zhang Yuan.

Xiao Yuan, your home is gone.

You're dead, and your home is gone. The last traces of you in this world are almost gone.

Now, the only thing left is to avenge you, using the heads of the killers to honor you, to send you off. I can't do much else.

At this moment, the alluring female team member quietly approached Li Hao.

A faint fragrance reached his nose.

In his ear, the woman's laughter: "Xiao Hao, if you want to join us, you can come find me tomorrow! I'm Liu Yan, the deputy team leader of the enforcement team, always welcome to find me!"

Liu Yan!

If she hadn't said her name, Li Hao wouldn't have known who she was. But once she said it, Li Hao knew.

In the confidential office for a year, even if he hadn't met some people, he had heard their names and gossip.

Liu Yan was also a name often mentioned in the confidential office.

Rumor had it that she was Liu Long's mistress... Of course, this was gossip from the confidential office, and Li Hao didn't know if it was true, but looking at today's situation, it might not be baseless.

The aunts in the confidential office often spoke of her with disdain, saying she relied on her looks to become the deputy team leader of the enforcement team.

The deputy team leader of the enforcement team is at least a first-level inspector.

Above the inspector is the patrol officer.

Liu Long is actually a patrol officer. At his level, he truly has influence, second only to the head of the inspection office, with more power than the deputy heads.

"Okay!"

Li Hao nodded slightly, agreeing readily.

A wise man knows when to yield!

At this moment, refusal was not an option.

He had to agree!

"Great!"

Liu Yan smiled, "You won't regret it!"

With that, she left.

She moved quickly and silently, which made Li Hao secretly alarmed. These people looked ordinary, but they were actually quite strong.

A faint layer of starlight enveloped their bodies.

Very faint, not visible from a distance, but up close, Li Hao could see it clearly.

This was the starlight energy that flowed out after he drank the water from the jade sword.

"Half-superhumans?"

Li Hao defined them as such. These people had probably tried to absorb energy into their bodies, but failed to become true superhumans.

Liu Long had done well in the enforcement team, cultivating a few powerful helpers.

"So, the water from the jade sword is mystic energy!"

"Liu Long and his people hope to become superhumans by killing superhumans, but I... maybe not! My jade sword can provide me with mystic energy, and I also have the Zhang family's knife. I just don't know if the Zhang family's knife can produce mystic energy."

The boom continued.

Soon, flames rose.

The Zhang family was burned down.

Li Hao watched silently, not regretting his choice tonight.

Tonight, he gained a lot of information, beyond what he imagined. Even if it exposed some things about himself, it didn't matter.

Am I the holder of the Li family's sword? Does the red shadow side really not know?

Not likely!

They haven't moved against me yet, probably because they have their own plans.

If my parents were killed by them, wouldn't they know that my Li is the Li in the Li family's sword?

Thinking they don't know is just self-deception.

"Such a big commotion, they probably won't show up!"

Li Hao tightened his clothes, kicked the black leopard beside him, and whispered, "Let's go, back home!"

He didn't say goodbye to Liu Long, taking advantage of the commotion to leave quietly.

...

"Boss!"

At this moment, a few people gathered around Liu Long. Liu Yan looked at Liu Long with a questioning expression, then at Li Hao, who was quietly leaving in the darkness, and asked softly, "Boss, do you really want this person to join us?"

The thin Wu Chao smiled, "Boss has his own reasons! This Li Hao has someone backing him. Yuan Shuo isn't a superhuman, but his Five Animals Technique is strong, and his own strength isn't weak! Besides, he has been cooperating with the night patrol, so he has some confidence. Bringing Li Hao in might not be a bad thing."

Another fat man, so fat his eyes were almost invisible, grumbled, "That's not necessarily a good thing! Yuan Shuo is arrogant. Boss, you've tried to recruit him before, but he was dismissive. Bringing Li Hao in might attract the attention of the night patrol..."

Before he finished, Liu Long coldly said, "Night patrol? Do you think they don't know? Our Yincheng inspection office has killed superhumans multiple times. How could they not know?"

After saying this, Liu Long added calmly, "So what if they know? We kill criminals! Moreover, the secret of killing superhumans and absorbing mystic energy to transcend the mundane was spread by the night patrol! Haha..."

A cold laugh, Liu Long's eyes full of disdain and indifference.

"They spread this message to make us cannon fodder, to share their burden, right?"

"Now, the night patrol seems to have a heavy task and no time to manage much. But if superhumans cause trouble, it's a huge problem! But managing it, the night patrol doesn't have enough power, and the mundane dealing with superhumans is too dangerous. Most people just get by, who wants to really offend superhumans?"

"But at this moment, a message is spread: kill a superhuman, absorb their energy, and try multiple times, and there's a chance of success... What do you think the result will be?"

Everyone was silent.

What result?

People who are not content with the ordinary will take a chance!

Life and death!

With means, weapons, and brains, it's not impossible to challenge superhumans.

They are the best proof!

Is this happening only in Yincheng?

Probably not!

The night patrol organization spread this message to use people like us, who are not content with the ordinary, as cannon fodder, to temporarily solve some of their problems.

Liu Long continued, "The night patrol's plan is very clever! If we really become superhumans, where do you think we would go?"

Liu Yan laughed, "The night patrol!"

Everyone nodded.

Would inspection office members go to the night patrol, or become some side characters?

Having been in office, few would become outlaws.

"A clever plan!"

Liu Long said calmly, "I don't know about others, but the ones who fail each year won't be content with the ordinary! We once stepped into the extraordinary but were kicked back. No one will be content! And we, the core forces of each inspection office, have troops and power, and the confidence to fight for a chance!"

"The night patrol doesn't need to pay any price. On one hand, they can make us fight, and on the other, they can select some promising candidates. Why not?"

At this moment, the team members understood completely.

Liu Long hadn't explained it in such detail before. Some team members understood, while others, like the fat man, were still worried about being discovered by the night patrol for secretly absorbing mystic energy.

But now, hearing the captain's explanation, they suddenly saw the light!

The fat man asked again, "Boss, will Li Hao joining be beneficial to us?"

"Yes."

Liu Long said, but didn't explain why.

Everyone thought about it, not asking further.

As for whether Li Hao would join... was there any doubt?

Definitely!

Everyone felt that anyone who knew about the superhuman realm wouldn't refuse Liu Long's invitation.

The night patrol has a formal selection process, but even after selection, the success rate is one in a hundred. More importantly, Li Hao probably didn't even make the candidate list in Yincheng.

In the vast Yincheng, many people know about superhumans.

All high-ranking officials!

How many high-ranking officials hope that they or their descendants can become superhumans? For someone like Li Hao, the chance is very small. Even if his teacher intervenes, the result is most likely that he won't make the candidate list.

If Li Hao understands the difficulty, he should know that only by joining the enforcement team does he have a chance to enter the superhuman realm.

...

The night was enchanting.

On a small road, Li Hao remained vigilant, walking silently.

The Zhang family's residence was not far from his home.

On this journey, he thought about many things and ultimately decided to inform his teacher.

"Beep beep beep..."

The call was quickly answered. Yuan Shuo must have been waiting, not sleeping.

"Teacher!"

"Is it resolved?"

"Yes, Captain Liu Long and his team came. I'm on my way back."

Li Hao spoke, thinking about something, and then said, "Teacher, Captain Liu said I might be in danger. The people who killed Xiao Yuan might also want to kill me."

"No problem!"

Yuan Shuo seemed to have guessed, not caring, and said casually, "Starting tomorrow, move into the ancient courtyard. Don't go to the dormitory, come directly to me, and don't go out! Avoid it for a year or two, and it should be fine."

Yuan Shuo spoke lightly, but Li Hao understood. Yuan Shuo was betting on the night patrol not ignoring his safety.

If Li Hao hid, the red shadow side wouldn't easily provoke the night patrol unless they were very powerful.

But Li Hao knew the red shadow wouldn't give up easily.

Moreover, hiding all the time was not what Li Hao wanted.

"Teacher, I still want to stay in the inspection office."

"Stubborn!"

Yuan Shuo was a bit angry, "Since you know the danger, why stay? That's foolish, not brave!"

"Teacher, I want... to join the enforcement team! Captain Liu invited me to join the enforcement team, saying it can protect my safety."

"Enforcement team?"

"Yes, and... he told me that joining might lead to another realm."

"Haha!"

A mocking laugh came from the call.

"Liu Long is still not giving up! Is it that easy? If it were, everyone would be a superhuman! I know everything he's doing. Liu Long is indeed a determined and bold person."

Yuan Shuo affirmed, but quickly added, "But there are things you don't understand. What he told you is very simple! In reality, first, killing those people is a matter of life and death! Second, absorbing energy into the body, the night patrol has a 90% safety rate, and even if it fails, you won't die. But Liu Long's method, it's 50-50, and half the time, you'll die during the process!"

Li Hao's eyes flickered. Liu Long hadn't mentioned this before.

Yuan Shuo continued, "Also, do you think there were only a few brave souls in the enforcement team before? Haha, Liu Long originally gathered dozens of people. How many are left now? Some died in the killings, some died during the energy absorption process!"

Yuan Shuo sighed, "If you really want to go