Chapter 32: A Precious Find

Upon arriving at Headquarters, Gu Quan'an took out his badge, and immediately someone came forward to greet him—a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a blue uniform. Her cheeks still bore traces of baby fat, and her smile revealed two dimples.

“You must be Gu Quan'an from the Southern Branch! Welcome!”

“I’ll take you to meet Minister Gao!”

“You’re so tall… and your skin is really nice!”

“Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Li Yue, and I’m in charge of logistics.”

“Our department isn’t located inside Headquarters, it's at the back. It may look unremarkable from outside, but everything inside has been renovated, and we’ve got all the latest equipment! It’s no worse than the Guard’s!”

Li Yue was talkative, punctuating her words with animated gestures.

The squad’s quarters were in a four-story building behind Headquarters, unimpressive from the street, but occupying a considerable area. Inside, it had indeed been refurbished; the lobby was spacious, the floor gleamed with metallic sheen, and above, the glass dome stretched all the way to the ceiling.

No sooner had they entered than a voice echoed down the corridor:

“Look into my eyes and attack me!”

“Closing your eyes—is that so you can deliver takeout to those monsters?”

“It’s not ability you lack, but the courage to fight!”

“That’s the training grounds over there. Captain Li is training the newcomers… Captain Li is a good person, and very strong. He’s an awakened whose body has been enhanced,” Li Yue whispered.

“How many people are there now, how many squads?” Gu Changqing asked.

“Only one squad, nine people. Captain Li leads it… but there are also several reserve awakened,” Li Yue replied.

Gu Changqing grinned—this was indeed rather meager.

“I’ve heard the number of awakened has increased a lot in the past six months. Things will get lively here soon!” Li Yue said, sounding certain.

That was news to Gu Changqing.

They took the elevator up to the minister’s office on the third floor. Li Yue knocked first: “Minister, I’ve brought him!”

“Come in!”

Gu Changqing entered to find the desk covered with a jumble of files. Behind it sat a woman of about twenty-four or twenty-five, her expression languid, looking as if she’d just woken up.

He thought she seemed to have a generous bearing.

“Please, sit. This branch was only recently established, and there’s too much to handle,” she said.

“My surname is Gao. You can call me Minister Gao.” Minister Gao stretched and began sifting through the papers on her desk.

Gu Changqing glanced at the nameplate that read Gao Wenxin, then pulled over a chair and sat down.

“Gu Quan'an… twenty-three years old, graduate of the Royal Police Training Academy… graduated with good marks…” Gao Wenxin glanced at the file.

“You’ve changed a lot since your photo…”

---

“I’m glad to see you here… After all, you’re one of our own, which is reassuring. But I still don’t know where you’ll fit in… What’s your awakened ability? I only know you have decent combat skills, enough to handle a level-two monster alone…”

Suddenly, dozens of blood threads shot from between Gu Changqing’s fingers, darting toward Gao Wenxin at astonishing speed.

A flash of white light—dozens of blood threads severed, droplets splattering onto the desk.

Gu Changqing saw clearly: Gao Wenxin had produced a short blade in an instant, slicing the threads apart.

“Blood? Anything else?” Gao Wenxin remained unfazed.

If that was all, it seemed rather ordinary. But if he could handle a level-two monster solo, it shouldn’t be so simple.

In the next moment, the blood droplets all sprang toward Gao Wenxin; though she slashed at them, some landed on her, trickling toward her neck.

A chorus of wails echoed in her ears, as if she’d been plunged into a pit of torment.

“Still able to control it after separation? Mental influence?” Gao Wenxin arched an eyebrow.

If he could freely control blood, rather than merely using it to attack, its applications multiplied.

She sensed the cold blood gathering at her neck, creeping toward her ear—her skin prickled with goosebumps.

Gao Wenxin’s gaze sharpened, the former laziness vanished; she was now all icy intensity, like a drawn blade.

The blood near her ear was expelled, as if countless invisible blades had cut through it, scattering droplets everywhere.

Gu Changqing willed the blood back to his hand.

Gao Wenxin’s chill faded, her demeanor returning to normal. She looked with interest at the blood serpent winding around Gu Changqing’s arm.

Her curiosity was piqued.

“What else can you do?”

“Many things. For instance, I can devour you, make you part of it!” Gu Changqing said with a mischievous smile.

Gao Wenxin’s gaze grew sharp.

“Assimilation? Corrosion? Dissolution? Like acid? How fast does it work? What’s the range?” Gao Wenxin grew animated.

“What do you need? Let’s try it! I need to understand your capabilities.”

“Just grab any creature. A monster works too!” Gu Changqing responded lazily.

Gao Wenxin now felt she’d stumbled upon a treasure.

If it were only blood manipulation, it wouldn’t amount to much, but with dissolution, corrosion, and mental influence, it was entirely different.

Though not as potent as the elemental awakened—those of fire, lightning, or ice—who dominated direct combat, his powers could be extraordinarily useful, sometimes yielding miraculous results.

Especially since Gu Quan'an’s awakening was recent; he might grow even stronger.

“Come, there’s a monster in the department—low threat, used to toughen the rookies,” Gao Wenxin said, rising at once.

Gu Changqing strolled behind her to a metal door.

---

They opened the third-floor door and entered a chamber of steel. Fixed to the wall was a woman, from whom numerous veins and flesh extended, covering much of the wall.

She was of the same kind Gu Changqing had encountered before.

As they entered, the veins and flesh on the wall writhed to life, spreading toward them.

“A freshly advanced level-two monster! Go all out!” Gao Wenxin folded her arms, watching expectantly.

Gu Changqing kept his hands in his pockets, but the blood serpent slithered from his arm, splitting into hundreds of threads that shot toward the monster, crossing twenty meters in an instant.

Veins shot out from the wall, trying to block him.

But the threads curved gracefully through the air, evading the defenses, wrapping around the monster’s face, then plunging into its ears, nose, and mouth.

Within seconds, the monster and surrounding flesh and veins began to shrivel, as if all their substance had been devoured.

This surprised Gao Wenxin—it wasn’t what she’d expected.

Then the monster crumbled into dust, and the blood threads flew back to Gu Changqing’s hand.

Rich blood essence surged into Gu Changqing, transforming into a trace of spiritual energy.

Gao Wenxin regarded him intently—now she understood what he meant by “devour.”

The monster’s flesh, blood, everything, had been consumed.

She’d never seen such a bizarre ability before.

And it was powerful.

She truly had found a gem this time!

“An impressive power! You drained the monster of its flesh and life? And then? What changes for you?” Gao Wenxin looked at Gu Changqing with interest.

Peculiar abilities were no concern—after all, an ability was but a blade in one’s hand. Any awakened bent on malice could wreak considerable havoc.

Not to mention, Gu Changqing was one of her own—a product of the security system!

“I get a bit stronger!” Gu Changqing grinned, flashing white teeth like a beast.

He had no intention to conceal his power—it couldn’t be hidden anyway.

The blood serpent climbed up his arm.

“Did you see those tortured faces? That’s the monster’s resentment!”

Gao Wenxin’s gaze sharpened once more.