Chapter Twenty-Three: The Bureau of Investigation for Strange Creatures in Spirit City

Ruan Miao showed no sign of fear; she simply stared at the doll, silent and unmoving. In the exchange of glances between them, a certain tacit understanding seemed to arise; neither spoke, but both communicated in silence.

Ruan Miao knew this doll was the one spoken of in urban legends, and that it had killed countless people. Yet, she was someone who pursued fear, so she sought the terror that this doll represented.

Ignoring the doll, Ruan Miao slowly drifted into sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, a teddy bear and a little girl had inexplicably appeared in her room.

Ruan Miao accepted it all with serene composure, as if nothing were amiss. She began to draw the little girl’s portrait, going through countless drafts and failures, spending the entire day before finally perfecting the image.

Next, she turned her attention to the teddy bear. After several attempts, Ruan Miao managed to capture the essence of fear she sought, rendering the bear’s terror with sharp precision.

Still unsatisfied with the level of fright, she asked the little girl to hold both the doll and the teddy bear in her arms. The uncanny combination startled her, but she nodded in agreement.

This was true terror!

This last painting cost Ruan Miao her greatest effort; she meticulously traced every detail, afraid that the slightest error might mar what could be a masterpiece to shock the world.

At last, the painting was complete: the paleness of the girl’s face, the empty look in her eyes, the doll’s eerie smile, the grave expression of the teddy bear—all perfectly captured.

Ruan Miao submitted all four paintings under different names to the Ling City Horror Art Exhibition.

...

The situation at the Bureau for Investigation of Strange Creatures was far from resolved. Upon receiving the report, the Ling City Bureau responded immediately.

Ling City, a second-tier city in China, the provincial capital of Qin Province, was far more prosperous than Tianjing City. The Ling City Bureau for Investigation of Strange Creatures operated from an unremarkable office building. In the top-floor office, the atmosphere was tense.

Unlike the lively mood elsewhere, inside the Tianjing City branch of Ling City’s Bureau for Investigation of Strange Events, things were grim.

A middle-aged man sat at his desk, three men and two women standing before him. A document lay on the table.

“Strange Creature: Nightmare Doll

Strength: At least D-level, possibly C-level

Appearance: A European-style male doll

Characteristics: Exceptionally intelligent, capable of communication

Skills: Unknown

Strange Creature: Bloodthirsty Lolita

Strength: At least E-level, possibly D-level

Appearance: A girl around eleven or twelve years old

Characteristics: Suspected to possess intelligence and formidable combat instincts

Skills: Enhanced right arm, invisibility

Note: The two strange creatures are cooperating, exhibiting collaborative awareness.

The two creatures have killed hundreds of civilians in Tianjing City, including twenty-eight bureau officials led by the branch director, and sacrificed two combatants—Li Juetian (D-level) and Han Zhen (E-level). The losses are severe.”

Alongside the report were several photographs, documenting the actions of Feng Tianlin and Long Mengting.

Images of Li Juetian and Han Zhen’s bodies, the blood-soaked Tianjing City Bureau for Investigation of Strange Creatures, and scenes too grisly to bear, including some close-ups.

“Does anyone have anything to say?” The middle-aged man slowly lifted his eyelids, his expression unreadable.

No one spoke; the gravity of the situation was overwhelming.

No one cared for the common people or even the bureau officials of Tianjing; their concern was solely for the brothers Li Juetian and Han Zhen.

Li Juetian and Han Zhen were not mere combatants—they were genius spirit masters, expected to bring glory. Their assignment to Tianjing City was only a temporary measure to appease the director’s mood; once he calmed, they were to return to Ling City, perhaps even advance to the provincial level or headquarters. Now, they had perished in a small, insignificant city.

But none could be blamed; who could have foreseen the presence of D-level or even C-level strange creatures in Tianjing?

Strange creatures typically grow stronger by consuming the fear of humans, but Tianjing City, with only a few tens of thousands of residents, could not sustain a creature’s evolution to D-level. All D-level creatures in China were catalogued, yet this Nightmare Doll had appeared out of nowhere, without warning.

“Director, I’ve seen Li Juetian’s strength. No ordinary D-level creature could defeat him. This doll must be C-level!” spoke the only woman present, Ji Ruyan, with solemn conviction.

Beside her, Ren Zhonghao couldn’t help but snicker, drawing everyone’s gaze.

Embarrassed, he forced a laugh and spoke with biting sarcasm, “Their strength is indeed extraordinary. To have fallen in a small city like Tianjing—truly remarkable.”

Hearing herself questioned, Ji Ruyan clenched her teeth and glared at Ren Zhonghao. “What did you say? Dare you repeat it?”

Ren Zhonghao folded his arms with indifference. “I said Li Juetian and his little brother were weaklings! What, you want to hit me?”

As his two subordinates prepared to clash, the director knocked on the table, his tone calm.

“Our concern is how to resolve this, not whether Li Juetian was strong or not.”

Ren Zhonghao sneered, “Just send a C-level spirit master to support Tianjing, resolve the matter, and then transfer personnel to rebuild the local bureau. Problem solved.”

“C-level? I believe we must dispatch at least one B-level and two C-levels. There can be no mistakes,” Ji Ruyan protested, her eyes wide.

She alone knew the true strength of Li Juetian. She would never forget the day he first reported to the Ling City Bureau for Strange Creature Investigation, only to have someone bully his junior, Han Zhen.

As the elder brother, Li Juetian would not tolerate such injustice. Though only E-level at the time, he challenged the D-level combatant.

The challenge was accepted without hesitation, despite the disparity in ranks. To everyone’s surprise, the D-level fighter quickly fell behind, and Li Juetian finished the duel in dominating fashion, leaving his opponent powerless to retaliate.

His rope, though not highly defensive, could neutralize enemy energy—a nemesis for strange creatures!

Creatures of equal rank were generally weaker than human spirit masters, yet this creature had bested a top-tier master. How powerful must it be, and what terrifying potential did it possess?

Her words drew immediate mockery.

“To deal with a D-level creature, you’d deploy a B-level master and two C-levels? Do you think spirit masters grow on trees?”

“Ji Ruyan, have you been drinking? How could you say something so absurd?”

...

Even the director’s impassive face revealed a hint of amusement, his gaze toward Ji Ruyan somewhat peculiar. Still, he tapped the desk again, “Finished arguing?”

Everyone instantly fell silent, lowering their heads.

“This doll cannot be underestimated. Merely sending a single C-level spirit master is not sufficient to show proper attention.”