"Old Zheng, didn’t you say you didn’t want to alert that ‘Strange Detective’ directly? Sending him on a mission to Qiling Mountain this time seems a bit out of procedure."
Investigator Yin Hu looked puzzled as he spoke to the elderly man fishing by the lake. Yin Hu was part of the same batch of Wanderers as Wen Wen and had even ranked first in the second assessment, outperforming both Wen Wen and Sfor.
The old man smiled faintly. "The disturbances in Qiling Mountain this time are anything but ordinary. The beasts there seem to have been provoked by something and have suddenly gone berserk. The local Wanderers alone won’t be enough to handle the situation, so dispatching him there follows procedure."
"I’ve personally reviewed every case he’s handled—the records are quite fascinating. You should take a look too. I’m curious to see what changes will unfold once he’s sent there."
This elder was the deputy chief investigator of the Huafu District, the very one who had personally recruited Yin Hu from the Wanderers.
He believed Yin Hu was a highly talented young man who, once fully matured, might even be capable of filling his own position.
Moreover, he was genuinely curious about Wen Wen’s true background.
Despite Wen Wen’s behavior showing no connection to the Black Cross and despite his multiple alibis, among all the suspicious candidates, Wen Wen’s activity range overlapped the most with the Black Cross’s.
That alone was enough to make the old man suspicious of Wen Wen.
Whether the Black Cross was truly benevolent or secretly scheming, he intended to uncover Wen Wen’s true nature.
---
The moment Wen Wen stepped off the plane at Furong River Airport, a team of assistants whisked him away without even giving him a chance to revisit old haunts—a clear sign of the urgency of the situation.
During the flight, Wen Wen had already reviewed the mission details.
The gist was that the barrier around Qiling Mountain had suddenly failed, allowing many beast-type monsters to escape, with even more poised to break free.
Several nearby cities had already been placed under strict security measures. Though none had been fully locked down like Huashan City, the potential threat was far greater.
Having been to Qiling Mountain himself, Wen Wen knew just how densely packed the monsters were there.
If those creatures were to scatter en masse, the surrounding cities would face catastrophe. And that was the *better* outcome—once monsters of this scale dispersed, recapturing them would be nearly impossible, and the damage they inflicted would be long-lasting.
The Hunter Association had anticipated the possibility of monster outbreaks and had prepared contingency plans.
But the real problem wasn’t the monsters—it was the sudden hostility from the "Village of Spirits," a settlement deep within Qiling Mountain that had previously maintained friendly relations with the Association.
In fact, the Village of Spirits had been on good terms with the Hunter Association, and it was largely due to them that Qiling Mountain had become a sanctuary for beast-type monsters in the Huafu District.
Unless a monster was particularly heinous, the Association generally refrained from pursuing those that fled into Qiling Mountain.
In exchange for tolerating this sanctuary, the Village of Spirits was responsible for maintaining order among the mountain’s massive monster population.
They had done this job well—until a few days ago, when their attitude abruptly changed. They now regarded the Hunter Association with inexplicable hostility!
Faced with this situation, the Association had two priorities:
First, to repair relations with the Village of Spirits.
Second, to prevent the monsters of Qiling Mountain from wreaking havoc outside.
As for why they didn’t simply suppress the Village by force…
That came down to the Village’s formidable strength. Without overwhelming power, they wouldn’t have been able to control the thousands of monsters in Qiling Mountain.
Every villager, aside from the young, possessed at least mid-level Disaster-tier strength. The Village chief and several elders each had True Disaster-tier power—equivalent to the combined might of two or three provinces in the Huafu District!
With such strength and a history of cooperation—even assisting the Association in resolving crises—the Association was reluctant to sever ties. But if tensions continued to escalate, the Association was prepared for battle.
---
Soon, Wen Wen was escorted by assistants to a temporary camp outside Qiling Mountain, serving as the command center.
Dozens of Wanderers had already gathered there, including familiar faces like Qiao Feiya, Miao Miaomiao, Hidden Thorn, and Sfor.
The Wanderer community wasn’t large, so running into acquaintances during major events was common.
On the platform stood Xun Qing and two other True Disaster-tier experts, whose role was to oversee the situation rather than intervene directly.
Once most Wanderers had arrived, a hunter began briefing them on the current situation via loudspeaker. After everyone was brought up to speed, assignments were promptly handed out.
Like Wen Wen, the Wanderers had already studied the details en route—the recap was largely a formality.
Wen Wen’s task was to secure a critical passage in and out of Qiling Mountain, repelling any monsters attempting to escape. A team of hunters was already stationed there, but their numbers were insufficient to hold back Qiling Mountain’s creatures.
After all, the monsters here weren’t just Hazard-tier—there were also terrifying beings like that sinuous dragon!
Assigned to work alongside Wen Wen was a woman in striking red attire, codenamed **Flame Sparrow**.
Time was of the essence—the sooner they arrived, the fewer threats would emerge.
On the way, Flame Sparrow’s expression was one of excitement, bordering on manic. She repeatedly rubbed her hands together, as if eager for battle.
Wen Wen recognized that look—he’d worn it himself on occasion. It was the expression of someone who genuinely thrived on combat.
The old Wen Wen might have mirrored her enthusiasm, but now, he only felt that thrill when facing a worthy opponent.
Her unsettling demeanor was one thing, but she also kept firing off bursts of flame, scorching the landscape. If not for her lingering restraint, she might have started a forest fire.
Though Wen Wen understood her impulses, he couldn’t take it anymore. "Hey, can you *not* play with fire? This is a serious, justice-driven mission. You’re making us look like a pair of villains on a killing spree."
"I can’t help it!" Flame Sparrow licked her lips, then eyed Wen Wen eagerly. "Wanna help me burn off some energy?"
"I didn’t mean it like—" Wen Wen took a step back. "Just saying, playing with fire leads to bedwetting."
"Tch. Boring man." She scoffed but finally stopped her fiery antics—only to switch to clawing at everything in her path, leaving destruction in her wake.
Wen Wen sighed. "*Now* I get it. This woman just has destructive impulses."