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YunLan accepted the position his father offered him on the terms that he would move in after another year in the standard police department and work as a connection from SID to the Police department for another year. Not because he wants to stay as the little player for so long, but because he wants to ‘earn’ the position. He can’t earn it literally since his father practically gave him the position, pink bowed, and everything. However, at least several notable cases on his ledger make him more worthy of accepting the position than a freshly graduated cop.
In SID, Yun Lan has a tiny amount of staff. There’s an old Daixingian he called Lao Li, who’s fond of his new deputy, a cat yashou named Da Qing. There’s also a tech jenius Lin Jing, who’s also new, came from the research department. His reason to join SID was because he used to join and collaborate on a now invalidated and illegal Dixingren research, and he has to make up for it to the Dixing governments, basically brilliant but slightly cheap labor.
There are also several old guys to take care of the libraries and stuff; they look like they’re twice his father’s age. Dragon City’s SID seems in dire need of replacement and recruitment, not only for the Chief’s seat but for almost all the placements.
“Hei, Lao Zhao,” Da Qing began as he lay on the sofa, reading some of his papers. The cat thought it would be a good nickname since the Yashou himself looked like he had barely gotten out of his teenage age, even though he’d be more than a thousand years old if the rumors were to be trusted. But whatever, it doesn’t matter. “Have you heard about the sudden black fog they saw in the city?”
“What sudden black fog?” Yun Lan asked as he was reading some of his father’s notes.
Hei Pao Shi was assigned by the King, Gui Mian, as a representative of the reigning Dixing and the only authority the Daixingians would obey. He is responsible for the harmony between Dixingren and Daixingians. His job is also to reign in the chaos Dixingrens and Daixingians inflict in Haixing. Any crimes done by both Dixing descent are under his judgment, second only to Gui Mian.
His dad said there is a probability Hei Pao Shi would help with many of his cases. Knowing some facts about the guy wouldn’t be a bad thing. So far, Zhao YunLan is on the page about which crimes he’s responsible for. There are so many notes and books he’s not finished yet, which don’t include the books that tell him what kinds of powers DixingRen could do with dark energies. His brain is rotting from reading. There is a reason he chose to be a police member, not a detective. Alas, SID is both; if he has to knead his brain to dough with the knowledge to bring this organization to a nice place, he will make the best doughnut there is.
“Some people complained about dark fogs around the alleys. They said it makes them feel sleepy. You think it’s something?” Da Qing said, giving the files to his younger Chief. YunLan brow raised, wondering how to handle this. The map’s not labeled as an emergency, but a small thing might get big quickly. “The maps are scattered, but the timelines said it might be just one guy.”
“Keep an eye on it. It smells a bit fishy.”
Don’t you hate it when you’re right? Just hours after Zhao Yunlan discarded the files, a loud alarm blazed in, saying there was an attack on the Police Department archive’s building. They said a man with all-black and purple attire and a hood walked into the department, followed by dark fog. One of the Daixingians on site confirmed that it’s a fog of dark energies, and it’s pretty powerful. The fog knocks all the Haixingren unconscious. The only ones who got away were several of its Daixingian employees; even then, they still got dizzy spells and aches. It confirmed that a Dixingren did this attack. No Daixingians, not even the second generation, are this strong.
It was confirmed when the Dixing King sent a letter filled with the attacker’s data, accompanied by a picture of a man in purple attire, who arrived at the office with a flutter of… leaves? It’s a new one, Da Qing said; last time, it was a flutter of birds.
For Lord Guardian, we send our strong condolences and arms, hearing the attack by one of our people. We have sent the information we gathered, which is tied to the perpetrator.
Chu Bing Fen.
A fog master of the Chu Clan.
Age: 112
Chu Clan’s power has always been tied to theatrics, and Chu Bing Fen’s is no exception. His power is to control minds in rituals, puppets, and bodies- with his fogs. With age, his powers might not be as strong to control dead bodies as when he was younger, but he is strong enough to give loud, singular orders to a large crowd. His power is limited to his fog, for he can only control what his fog can enter. In living being’s case, their lungs and breathing system.
Chu Bing Fen’s goal is, presumably, to find his long-lost nephew, who is also his godchild, Chu NiangZi. Chu NiangZi’s power was to enter a doll or something similar. Chu NiangZi’s parents died when he was three years old, and since then, Chu Bing Fen has taken care of him and his twin, helped by his brothers. Chu NiangZi was missing three years ago when the Clan was passing a mourning rite held for one of their ancestors since the Clan is more traditional than most. There are many questions about Chu NiangZi’s whereabouts, but presumably, Chu Bing Fen’s goal is to find him.
We have reasons to believe that Bing Fen has sneaked more than three times to Haixing. His only recorded trip out and into Haixing was months ago, and the closest people to him reported his missing times.
Sincerely, Gui Mian.
Whew, this doesn’t help at all.
When he arrived at the SID department building, Shen Wei was prepared to comprehend Chu Bing Fen. His glaive sharpened, and his dark attire shined through. He was prepared for battle.
What he was not prepared for, however, was the familiar face leading some of the humans.
Kun Lun?
Is that really him?
Taking a step towards the policeman, Shen Wei was greeted by Lao Li and Da Qing. Lao Li was a fifth-generation Daixingian, with his ancestors’ power traits being longevity and protection. It’s not surprising that Lao Li himself is now 150 years old. Da Qing, however, has been hanging around the Daixingians and Yashou tribes. Only in the last twenty years or so has the cat Yashou decided to meddle in the Haixingren affair.
“Hei Pao Shi Da Ren,” Da Qing started, staring at the envoy with reverence and fondness. No doubt, even a habitual amnesia cannot delete his senses or habits when handling a particular Dixingren. “This is our new Chief. Zhao Xinci has been promoted, and this is his son.”
“Zhao YunLan.”
Zhao YunLan?
So that’s his name? What an interesting name.
Zhao YunLan didn’t know what to think about Hei Pao Shi. Da Qing and Lao Li’s respect for the man is as obvious as Da Qing’s love of fish, his bows, and his reference gaze. But it seems like the respect is wholly earned. The warrior is confident; he doesn’t waste time, nor does he mince his words, as he leads their meeting and forms plans.
After looking at Yun Lan’s face for an unsettling five minutes, the Black Cloaked envoy promised them-him, his hands-on handling of Chu Bing Fen. The envoy’s plan required them to enter the building and suggested that they use an oxygen mask so they wouldn’t be affected by the fog their current enemy was controlling. Da Qing and Lin Jing will scout for dead victims, and the envoy will handle Chu Bing Fen, accompanied by Zhao Yun Lan. Lao Li will handle the questions given by outsiders.
For some reason, the envoy was originally going to order Yun Lan to join the scouts, but the Chief put his feet down and joined the guy. He’s the boss here, and of course, he’s not getting sidelined on his first case as SID’s Chief.
“Should I call you Da Ren?” Zhao YunLan started when they began stepping inside. “What if I give you a nickname?”
Shen Wei misses Kun Lun. This talking in-silence thing is one of those things. He just let him speak so long as he didn’t become too loud. They walked side by side towards the archive room, with his Gonggong Blade in his hand.
“What about Pao Pao? No, that’s too childish. Hei Pao ge?”
“Shhh,” Yun Lan is getting too loud. Plus, they are approaching the room. Shen Wei, with dark energy senses, is trying to detect the exact room their criminal is acting in. It seems they finally found the main room.
“What about Hei Lao Ge? I like that- hmph!” Shen Wei shut Yun Lan’s mouth as he found Chu Bing Fen tinkering with the system. Shen Wei pushed Yun Lan against the wall, staring at where Chu Bing Fen was sitting. Yun Lan stares at Hei Pao Shi, realizing their awkward position.
As soon as Shen Wei realized, he stepped back quickly, feeling awkward. Not wanting to withstand the weird tension, Shen Wei stepped towards the room silently. Catching the movement from the edge of the seat, Chu Bing Fen managed to duck from Shen Wei’s attacking arms.
“Hei Pao Shi,” he whispered in horror, not expecting the powerful lord as an enforcement.
“Chu Bing Fen, you have harmed Haixing’s people on their turf. You are to return with me.” Just after that, Shen Wei started to attack. Instead of fighting back- not that he was able to, Bing Fen dodged. He jumped and ducked at every attack possible until he found the human behind Hei Pao Shi.
Not spending another moment, Bing Fen took out a small dagger and put it on the human’s neck, stopping Hei Pao Shi’s attack.
“With all respect, Da Ren. I still need to find my nephew, no matter whether alive or presumably dead.” Bing Fen said, making Shen Wei step forward with the blade down. His words took the envoy’s attention. “I found a track, and I will kill them and then return with you. Our Clan has been obedient for so long; I just want to find my nephew, my godchild’s body. I plead for your mercy.”
As soon as that, Bing Fen pulled Yun Lan’s oxygen mask off, letting his dark fog enter the human’s breathing system, and grazed the human’s shoulder with his dagger.
Panicked, as Zhao YunLan fell to the floor, Shen Wei conceded Bing Fen’s escape.
But not without a tracking charm.
Zhao Yun Lan’s angry.
He felt horrible and angry. He shouldn’t have followed the envoy; he’s a human and a weakness. He let the enemy hold him hostage, making the envoy choose between a potential distrust between Haixing and Dixing or letting the enemy go. This is his first case, but he should’ve foreseen this event. He didn’t even have the chance to take out his father’s gun.
Still, it’s horrible.
As soon as he woke up, he ordered Lin Jing to find Bing Fen’s goal, checking on what the Dixingren were looking for in the archive’s building. Hei Pao Shi went missing as soon as he left the Chief in Lao Li’s arms. He told Da Qing that there was new intel he needed to find about Chu Bing Fen’s motives; he wouldn’t take long.
“And you let him go?” Zhao Yun Lan asked as he massaged his brain.
“What was I supposed to do? Stop him? He’ll put down this cat permanently for sure!”
Just before Yun Lan exploded, Lin Jing stepped in, frantically.
“Chief! I found something!”
Lin Jing found what Chu Bing Fen sought: an address that belonged to one of Daixingians’ crime syndicates. It’s said that the syndicate loves to experiment on stray Dixingrens that pass the natural portals between Dixing and Haixing. It’s also said that a year ago, one of their scientists was caught and was able to be spared from any punishment by money paid to the government. It’s sickening.
As they arrived, Da Qing smelled the bodies.
“It smells like a massacre. Are you sure you want to enter?”
Stubborn Zhao Yun Lan entered the building. Finding Bing Fen slaying one of the last living people in the building. The Daixingians are all tied and duck-taped. They are separated into two groups, with 2 people in the black-collared group and 5 in white. After killing his current victim, Bing Fen threw the head in one pile and the body in another, making a pile of bodies.
There are no fogs, only one relatively middle-aged Dixing Ren with a weapon and killing intent.
“Didn’t know you’re brave enough to face me yourself,” Chu Bing Fen began, stepping forward so that he was closer to the Chief, a black cloak on his shoulder trailing after him. “Should’ve known the envoy would catch the presumably dead thing. My nephew’s dead, here, I know this, by one of these people. So I don’t regret killing them. My only regret is you coming in before I finish.”
Hearing that angers Zhao YunLan. This old man should regret this. He pointed his anti-dark energy gun towards Bing Fen.
“Zhao Yun Lan of SID, I’m putting you into custody until the envoy returns.”
“And what makes you think you can do that?” With that, Chu Bing Fen sent a fog train toward the Chief, making him dodge repeatedly. Bing Fen keeps sending out his fog while Yun Lan tries to take a good shot. He regrets not using the oxygen mask, Yun Lan thoughts, as he hides behind a stray piece of furniture.
“You should just give up, Haixingren. I’m not going anywhere until I’m finished.” Chu Bing Fen sent out fog to his hostages, making them all yell as they felt pain throughout their bodies. “If I can’t kill them one by one, I can make sure they die. Because of them, I can’t put my nephew to rest!”
“You shouldn’t bother.” A voice behind Bing Fen said, making the man turn around and find Hei Pao Shi. “You could’ve held your funeral rites had you told your family that Niang Zi is dead.”
When Bing Fen stepped forward to attack, dark energy strings appeared, stopping and shocking the man. Zhao Yunlan was also caught off guard and stared at the origin of the strings. A young man, also in black-purple attire, looked very much like the pictures of Chu Niang Zi standing there, eyes sharp.
“Uncle, why are you doing this.” So this must be Niang Zi’s twin? Zhao YunLan stood still, caught off guard. Is this one going to cause some trouble, too? “He’s my twin. You should’ve told me he’s dead!”
“Shu Zi! What are you doing!?!” Chu Bing Fen said as he tried to shrug the strings off his arms and legs.
“Putting you in prison,” the young man, Chu Shu Zi, whispered, sounding pained. With that, Hei Pao Shi opened a portal that delivered Chu Bing Fen to Dixing. After that, the portal closed, leaving the three of them with a pile of dead bodies and eight dying bodies.
“Hei Lao Ge! You’re on time.” Zhao YunLan said, trying to sound happy, laid flat as he realized the horridness of his surroundings, and his tiredness crept in.
That was anticlimactic.
One thing that differentiates DixingRen with clans from those without clans is that the Clans have a bond that can detect the living conditions of their scions, which the patriarch or matriarch can feel when their issue dies.
“When I heard Chu Bing Fen presumed Chu Niang Zi’s death, I am sure that he felt his godson’s death, but unsure of what it meant. He doesn’t have a kid, but he took care of both of his nephews, the children of his older brother. I talked to the head clan, and Chu Shu Zi volunteered to join me, catching his caretaker,” Shen Wei said, pointing at the young man behind him. “Chu Bing Fen was seeking a part of his godson for the funeral rites, yet had he told Chu Shu Zi, the funeral rites would’ve been held long ago.”
“How?” Da Qing asked, staring at the other DixingRen, Chu Shu Zi distrustfully.
“Niang Zi’s power was to enter a doll and move inside it. Had he not died, he could’ve entered a lot of things. I had his favorite ones; they could be used for the rites.” Chu Shu Zi admitted, sadness evident in his silence. The SID crews glanced at the Dixingren pityingly, not knowing what to say. The man looks formidable, but his grieving tone is noticed.
“That reminds me, Chu Shu Zi intends to join your SID organization.”
“What?!?” All the SID members yelled in unison, surprised.
“Unlike Lao Li, Chu Shu Zi can help you in combat. He is to represent me and Gui Mian and help the SID. It could also symbolically be held as an atonement by the Chu Clan. And you don’t need to worry. Chu Shu Zi himself offered his services.” Said young man just nodded, making the SID stare at each other.
It seems they have a new crew member.