Archfiend Chapter 3

Chapter 3: M-Files (2)

Chief Zheng's smile was motionless.

His complexion was seldom cautious, but looking in Xu Yangyi's eyes, he still said in a somewhat trembling voice: "Just now, that really was a……"

"What do you think?" Xu Yangyi didn't answer and asked.

Chief Zheng glanced in lingering trepidation at the floor covered in bulletproof glass and the window frame. The answer was already extremely obvious.

"I want to see the M-Files." Xu Yangyi said: "You should know of where I come from."

Chief Zheng didn't open his mouth.

The other's background was too much of a secret. In regards to that mysterious organization, he would prefer to keep a respectable distance. If it weren't for the serial killer case being far too strange, and the fact that he knew this was strength only achievable for a superhuman, he would've have been absolutely unwilling to request the other to come.

It wasn't…… It wasn't that the case was strange, but rather the "person" who committed the crime! That in itself was an oddity without peer!

He remembered those wounds and the wretched condition of the victim. It absolutely was something a human could bring about!

"You come from Heaven's Law." Chief Zheng finally sighed: "China's most secretive special forces, not answering to any organization or territorial administration. As to who directly governs it, no one knows. You come from the Yuyang City branch, taking first in your class. Currently, you're in the middle of your graduation exam."

Then, you know……" Xu Yangyi softly rapped the table, saying indifferently: "When I was eight, I had already encountered these things." 

Chief Zheng looked at Xu Yangyi in astonishment.

"That day was my birthday." Xu Yangyi's vision drooped, looking at the indistinct flickering of the cigarette butt. His voice didn't hold a single lick of the flames of anger, and moreover, it didn't have a trace of melancholy: "When I came home, I found out that my home had become a killing ground." 

Arriving at this point, his voice broke off. No less than two seconds later, a smile spread out across his face: "Thus, I am the number one of Heaven's Law's Yuyang City branch."

"I have always…… Always been searching for 'it'." Xu Yangyi looked at Chief Zheng, his voice neither hurried or lagging: "For the debt of my mother and father and for throwing my life into chaos since then, as well."

"Gulp……" Chief Zheng's throat tightened. With hands on both armrests of the sofa, his knuckles paled!

Anormal…… No…… A ruthless man…… This was an honest-to-god, ruthless freak!

Who would even smile upon mentioning such a matter?

Who wouldn't even have a change in the expression on their face when bringing up such an affair? As if he was a reiterating the story of another, not holding a single iota of emotion?

No one…… In his leather shoes, Chief Zheng fell back somewhat unstable. Even if he was first in command of the city's Public Security Bureau and had bore witness to many abnormal cases, he had never seen such a person!

It seemed he lacked the concise logic of conversation, yet he knew of the emotions of the other, a murderous intent that coalesced at the very bottom of his heart. Walking towards the other nonchalantly, he gently took out a blade, and severing the other person's throat inch by inch, perhaps so that he would even be able to leisurely watch the other's blood run dry until there was none…… This kind of fiend in sheepskin only needed several phrases to make him feel…...

This, he wasn't the same kind of human as he was!

"I'll give it to you right away……" Chief Zheng fished out a handkerchief and wiped away at the cold sweat on his head, diverging off into another topic, even if the temperature the air conditioner was spitting out in the room was only twenty degrees celsius. He silently stood up and carefully examined the door once more, taking out a key from his inner pocket. Cautiously opening the hidden compartment of the bookcase, he restrained his breath and took out a paper bag. 

As he stroked the object, his hand trembled.

There were some things…… They had had never been taken record by any man. Only the first-in-commands above the city level had an indistinct understanding. They were sealed off in a strongbox of the highest secrecy, unable to be spoken of to any man, until death from age, it was necessary to deeply conceal it.

He had taken a look at this highest of secrecies, as the first-in-command of a city, he had the qualifications. So, he was even more clear, that which was recorded within…… Were simply beyond his wildest imagination. So much that it was an absolute secret, that in case he made an announcement, it would arouse a societal upheaval! Even if it was the tip of the iceberg, he was threatened with nearly losing his job, resigning, and returning to the countryside!

Chief Zheng shut his eyes, steeling his frame of mind and sucking in a deep breath of air.

Each and every page, all of them were nightmares…… those strong-armed by a government coverup. Indeed, a truth that could not be disclosed…...

Every truth was recorded within this manila folder. Every half a year, a person sent from the top would come to examine and receive the materials. This file was known as the M-Files, the MONSTERS Files, a files of monstrosities!

He remembered too many of the things inside, since once they were peered over, these things were simply hard for a man to forget.

1993, the dam burst of the Yangtze River in Sanjiang City. Seven hours before the dam broke, a hundred villagers in Dayang Village witnessed a ten-meter-long black carp batter against the floodgates. Three hours after the dame broke, a man from Heaven's Law had come, isolating the entire scene of the incidence. Intense tremors could be heard from the ground. Three villages down river had saw ten washbin-size black scales rolling along with the blood-red river water 

Presently, there was also a Dragon King Temple within Dayang Village. 

2004, the famous incident of the Sanjiang No.2 secondary school, if you asked it of anyone now, they would all know, as so far as the No.2 secondary school had changed into an experimental school. After the event, 60% of students had transferred. 

It was a distressed ouija incident*. Two classes, over twenty students, had remained at school after class. By the time eight o'clock rolled by, all of them were injured simultaneously. They had been cut open from their singlets, and their internal organs had vanished without a trace. That same day at three o'clock at the wee hours of the morning, an emissary dispatched by Heaven's Law had entered the scene. To this day, the inhabitants of the entire city recall the fierce surface tremors in the vicinity of No.2 secondary school on that night.

This incident was one that he had personally "cleaned up". After the event, he was plagued with nightmares for an entire week. On account that the two rooms had blood-dyed feathers piled up all over the floor, each one about the size of a book.

2010, in Sanjiang City's Nankai County, Sanjiang City's biggest industry was steel, and the steel mill in Nankai County had exploded. Over a hundred men had witnessed a gigantic rock fly out among the fire. 

There were too many…… Chief Zheng pursed his lips, the palm of his hand completely covered in cold sweat.

Since he had finished looking over the banded charts of data, the exhaustive post-event reports, how it was connected with the news, the internet, how the navy was used to smooth out the affect, and how the recollections of the masses had slowly been trivialized…… Upon observing these familiar and tedious government techniques, from the major participation of the city government's first-in-command, and to minor matters like the appointment of every secretary assistant. He knew, each and every type of step to carefully reconstruct the affair truly was…… absolutely wasn't a falsehood.

There were some…… things that ordinary people simply wouldn't be able to see…… Together with humanity, and in union with China's history, and the world's history, accompanying it at birth for several thousands of years!

They had never left, never disappeared. Walking alongside humanity past the Prehistoric Era, past the Stone Age, past the Age of Enlightenment, past the Feudal Era….. and stepping into together once more…… the Age of Information!

They, they were at the side of every man. Like the light on the other side, surviving tenaciously among mankind. 

The name they were known as: Demons.

And while every one of China's officials were aware of demons, and like they knew of the darkness, at the same time, they knew that standing against the darkness was light, as well —— Heaven's Law.

No one knew of their true identity, besides they belonged to China's central government, but they didn't classify under any jurisdiction. In the security system, any place where a "special incident" occurred that was incapable of being resolved, they had to be immediately contacted. Outside of Heaven's Law, no one knew what the inner workings were like.  

Light in his hand, and receiving the paper bag, Xu Yangyi's vision sunk as he opened the paper bag, looking through page after page. 

The sound of rustling reverberated within the room. Perhaps the matter that hard occurred moments ago was too dreadful or perhaps this kind of deathly stillness was too unendurable. Chief Zheng laughed awkwardly and asked: "Heaven's Law…… what are the forces like?" 

"Xu Yangyi's hand paused, and he lifted his head to smile strangely: "We…… All of us have truly seen it with our own eyes, experienced it, and have watched these seemingly supernatural, ancient monsters make contact with…… other kinds of monstrosities."

"You can understand it as such."

Not speaking further with Chief Zheng, Xu Yangyi switched on his transceiver: "Mao Ba'er, I just finished looking over Sanshui City's M-Files. The demon that lives away from Sanshui City and hasn't crawled in is classified as a Serpent Eye. It should've come in from outside." 

"Serpent Eye?" A voice from the transceiver suddenly spoke: "It's not 'It'?"

"No." Xu Yangyi's vision trembled: "Every day, I dream of 'Its' appearance. The victims' wounds and that of my parent's that year are very similar, so I specifically rushed over here…… But it absolutely isn't."

The other didn't ask why he was so sure, since he understood. In these many years, Xu Yangyi had much understanding in regards to the characteristics of the injuries "it" created.

"Strange……" The voice from the transceiver sighed: "Every one of Heaven's Law's students have personally encountered these living fossils. You guys are fortunate; walking on a path of cultivation that ordinary people can only read about in novels. Yet, you guys are unfortunate, as well…… The cost of this path is too great…… yet Heaven's Law's number one objective is to help you guys seek out the killers from that time. All of the officers, whoever it was, searched…… just for you…… Heaven's Law's network encompasses all of China, but never has anyone seen it……"

Pausing, the other party continued: "According to my calculations, your opponent's average strength is somewhere between 70% and 120% of the initial stages of Qi Condensation. Do you want reinforcements? I must remind you out of friendship, if you accept reinforcements, the total points for your graduation exam will be reduced by half."

"I don't need it." Xu Yangyi narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles, the cracking sound echoing. 

"Then, how can you be certain of its direction?"

"It's quite simple……" Xu Yangyi laughed: "It's not like the local 'natives' don't. If I ask, things will be clear."

"They care much more more in comparison to me that a formidable opponent has 'settled in'......"

Shutting off the transceiver, Xu Yangyi lifted his head to look at Chief Zheng who had a complex expression written all over his face and suddenly laughed: "Do you know what is most capable of promoting harmony between species?"

Chief Zheng shook his head. Currently, he wasn't of any mind to think about this sudden question.

"It's life……" Xu Yangyi narrowed his eyes: "This is a major, irreversible circumstance…… Chief Zheng, I'll only remind you once…… Demons, it is a kind of race. An inhuman, intelligent community…… The hierarchy of their society…… is absolutely not as simple as you think it to be…… Moreover, it's not something you've read in a novel."

They weren't parasites of human civilization. If it were truly so simple….. what could these hunters in the darkness amount to? Trifling exterminators?

Drinking together from a golden goblet, our naked swords mutually unswerving.**

Xu Yangyi deeply respected these bonafide monstrosities that had survived since the Prehistoric Era. This was living fossil in the darkness. He would accordingly give the other party due respect. However, when the time to set the task came at hand, he absolutely wouldn't stay his hand.

Absolute serenity. When the time came about to take action, he would be completely unburdened!

*笔仙. I did some localization magic here. I never actually heard about this, but this is considered Chinese Ouija pretty much. Pronounced Bi3 Xian1. So two people hold a pen over a piece of paper and the spirit is supposed to do the writing for them while they ask questions.

**This is a pretty cool phrase: 金杯共汝饮，白刃不相饶. From what I found, it means: I'll share a cup with you in the drinking parlor, but on the battlefield I will be unforgiving. In a way, it is the mutual respect between warriors.

Chapter end