Zhen Hu Xiao stopped, giving the ghoul a chance to escape. The ghoul hesitated for a moment but then turned to run, ignoring Su Xiao's threatening words. It was probably the right choice; staying would mean death, so why not try for a slim chance of escape?
Just as the ghoul had run a few meters away, a long knife whistled through the air and struck.
"Thud."
The knife pierced the ghoul's calf, pinning it deep into the asphalt road.
"Ah~"
The ghoul screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground, its face pressed against the asphalt.
"Correct choice," Su Xiao said as he stood up and walked slowly toward the ghoul.
He thought the ghoul's attempt to run was normal; he would have done the same. If staying meant death, why not fight for a chance?
"What... what do you want?" the ghoul stammered, panic in its eyes as it tried to crawl forward, but the knife remained firmly planted.
Su Xiao grasped the knife's handle and pulled it out. The ghoul immediately tried to escape again.
With a flash of the blade, blood sprayed across the asphalt.
In four quick strikes, Su Xiao severed the ghoul's limbs, keeping his word.
With a ghoul's resilience, these injuries were severe but not life-threatening.
"What should we do next?" Zhen Hu Xiao asked, looking a bit weary. The recent fight had tired her out, and sweat soaked her clothes, her light golden hair sticking to her forehead.
"Keep going. We'll kill as many ghouls as come tonight," Su Xiao replied.
Zhen Hu Xiao felt a chill. There were hundreds of ghouls in the West District, maybe even more.
"Are we really okay?" she asked.
Su Xiao remained silent, starting to clear the bodies off the street.
He planned to use the dismembered ghoul as bait. However, ghouls weren't stupid; with so many bodies around, it would only scare them away.
He piled the bodies in a small alley and left the blood on the asphalt. The smell of blood would attract more ghouls.
He left the dismembered ghoul in the center of the street. He didn't need to lure other ghouls too close; he just needed them to show up.
With Su Xiao's agility, once they appeared, they wouldn't escape.
Hunting low-level ghouls had a low chance of dropping treasure chests, but it would give him contribution points with CCG.
Not only that, but his talent ability, Soul Eater, would also help him gain a lot of mana.
Right now, mana was crucial for Su Xiao since Qing Gang Ying consumed a lot of it.
Standing in the center of the street with the Blade of Dragon Slaying, Su Xiao waited, while Zhen Hu Xiao stood beside him.
"Ghouls will really show up, even after the battle here," Su Xiao said, ignoring Zhen Hu Xiao. Ghouls that could eat each other were like beasts; the smell of blood wouldn't scare them off; it would only draw them in.
Just two minutes later, the first ghoul appeared.
It was an old ghoul, thin and frail.
Seeing Su Xiao with his weapon, the old ghoul hesitated for a moment before deciding to retreat.
Unfortunately, it was too late; Su Xiao charged at it with his knife.
A minute later, Su Xiao returned to his spot, blood on his sleeves, waiting for the next target.
On top of a tall building in the West District, the night wind blew, and under the moonlight, two figures stood.
"What should we do? If we leave them alone, the ghouls here will be wiped out," said Kirishima Ayato, wearing a black rabbit mask, looking at Su Xiao in the distance with concern.
Beside him, Tohdoh didn't speak, silently watching the scene unfold.
This was a "resource" for the Bronze Tree; its leaders often came here to recruit stronger ghouls.
For example, the Bottle Brothers were noticed by the Bronze Tree here.
"Let it go," Tohdoh said, making Kirishima Ayato feel a bit unwilling.
"This place..."
Kirishima Ayato started but noticed Tohdoh staring at him.
"Are you going to stop that monster?"
Kirishima Ayato fell silent, turning his head away. He still vividly remembered the knife Su Xiao had swung at him.
"Then... do you want me to go?"
A murderous intent flashed in Tohdoh's eyes.
"No, I mean we should gather our members and kill that human."
It seemed Kirishima Ayato held a deep grudge against Su Xiao, especially since Su Xiao had almost killed him.
Tohdoh thought for a moment and shook his head.
"The cost is too high. Even if we manage to kill that man, we might die in the fight ourselves. Let’s leave and completely abandon this place. Knowing this monster is in District 14 is important information."
Although the Bronze Tree had other "resources," abandoning this place would still be a significant loss, forcing them to make a tough decision.
Tohdoh and Kirishima Ayato left, leaving the ghouls here without support.
...
As the sun gradually rose, golden light filled the sky.
In the center of the West District, Su Xiao sat on the street, looking exhausted.
Within a half-kilometer radius, large patches of blood could be seen on the streets, and the strong smell of blood filled the air.
He had lost count of how many ghouls he had killed that night. By the end, there wasn't a single ghoul left in the entire West District.
The overwhelming smell of blood made the ghouls alert; word spread among them not to approach the central area because there was a terrifying human there!
Though Su Xiao was covered in blood, he meticulously cleaned the Blade of Dragon Slaying before putting it away; he valued his weapons.
Su Xiao activated his mark to check his gains from the night.
First was the contribution points, which had changed to: “Second-Class Investigator, Contribution 390/400.”
In just one night, he gained 340 contribution points, showing how many ghouls he had killed.
Not only that, but his talent ability, Soul Eater, had devoured 68 mana points.
His current mana was now 238 points, greatly increasing the duration he could use Qing Gang Ying.
In his storage space, he also had five white treasure chests.
He had killed so many ghouls that even with a low drop rate for treasure chests, he still ended up with five.
"Zhen Hu Xiao, let's go back. I'm done for," Su Xiao said.
Zhen Hu Xiao lay flat on the street, no longer caring about her lady-like demeanor.
"I'm reaching my limit too; let's go back to the division."
Su Xiao got up and walked a few steps, only to find Zhen Hu Xiao still lying on the ground.
"Um, I'm out of strength."
Zhen Hu Xiao's tone was a bit awkward.
Most of the night, Su Xiao had been hunting ghouls while Zhen Hu Xiao handled the bodies. She hadn't fought, yet she was still exhausted.
Su Xiao walked over and lifted Zhen Hu Xiao onto his shoulder.
"Please don’t take me back to the division; I look too embarrassing like this," Zhen Hu Xiao said, eyes closed, then added, "My home is nearby; it’s just a few minutes by car."
Su Xiao thought for a moment; Zhen Hu Xiao's suggestion was good. He needed rest too.
They drove to Zhen Hu Xiao's apartment. On the way, she regained some strength and could at least walk on her own.
Zhen Hu Xiao lived in a small but cozy studio apartment. Once inside, Su Xiao took off his shirt and headed straight for the bathroom, much to her surprise.
He was covered in blood, and after a whole night, the dried blood on his skin felt uncomfortable.
While Su Xiao was rinsing off in warm water, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
"Second-Class Investigator Bai Ye, please hurry! I need to wash up quickly. I... I have a cleanliness obsession, and the blood on my skin is a nightmare."
(End of Chapter)