Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Elite Monster

“It’s an aberrant, right?” Feng Ling already had her axe in hand, the excitement in her voice barely contained.

Huang Fu Miao Miao choked on her own words. “It—it’s an elite monster!”

“Elite monster?” Feng Ling paused, thrown for a second.

Huang Fu Miao Miao wanted to slap herself. She rushed to correct it. “No, no—sorry! I mean it’s a person. A human with an ability card. And they’ve done at least one digestion!”

The van door slid open.

A man climbed out first—swaggering, aggressive, and loud enough to wake the dead. He stomped toward them, cursing as he came. “Who the fuck are you flashing those lights at?! Get out here!”

Feng Ling stepped out with the axe.

The man saw the weapon and quickened his stride, posture flaring with fake authority. “Carrying a weapon too? What, you trying to rob people at night? Inspection Bureau investigation! Old Master says put the weapon down!”

“Inspection Bureau?” Feng Ling’s eyebrows lifted.

She studied him—hair a mess, face sharp and cocky, graffiti T-shirt under a studded leather jacket, ripped jeans shredded to the point of absurdity.

This was supposed to be the inspection bureau?

The only inspector Feng Ling had met was Su Yu Qing. This guy didn’t even belong in the same world.

She was about to call him on it when he got close enough to see her face.

He froze.

Then his eyes widened like he’d just hit a jackpot. “You’re Feng Ling?! Holy shit—you really are Feng Ling! What the hell are you doing in Jiang Kou City?!”

More people spilled out of the van, staring at her like she was something on the news.

Feng Ling didn’t know it, but she’d become a name inside the inspection bureau in less than a day.

Zhou Zhou’s excitement snapped into place the moment he saw her. He’d read her file. He’d seen her photo. He recognized her face—and he remembered the smell of that truck.

His gaze slid past Feng Ling to the cab. “If you’re Feng Ling, then the thing in your car is the aberrant that escaped, right?”

Huang Fu Miao Miao’s face went white. She shrank into her seat, frozen.

Feng Ling looked back once, calm as ice. “Yeah. It’s an aberrant.”

“Ha!” Zhou Zhou laughed and threw his hands up. “Old Master knew it. I knew you two were together!”

In the next second, his raised hands bulged and warped, swelling into beast claws.

One claw shot straight toward the cab.

Bang!

A transparent bone blade snapped into place and blocked the strike.

Zhou Zhou’s face twisted. “Fuck! Hiding an aberrant and you still dare fight back?!”

His other claw slashed at Feng Ling without hesitation.

Feng Ling jumped back, cleanly avoiding the swipe—but her truck wasn’t so lucky. Metal tore. The side panel split under the beast claw like it was thin foil.

Feng Ling’s expression changed instantly. Her voice went flat, deadly. “One thou—”

“What one thousand?” Zhou Zhou yanked his claw free and glared. “Stop talking bullshit to distract me! Hiding an aberrant. Assaulting an inspector. That’s enough to put you behind bars for ten years!”

Feng Ling’s face went from pale to iron-blue. Her eyes turned cold in a way that made the air feel sharper.

Bone spines surged up from her shoulder. Like bamboo after rain, they shot out and unfolded—forming a second transparent bone blade.

She swung it at Zhou Zhou’s face.

Zhou Zhou raised his beast claws to block.

Clang!

Bone blade crashed against beast claw with a sharp sound, close to metal.

Zhou Zhou sneered. “Got some strength. But with just that? You’re nowhere near beating me.”

Feng Ling lifted her axe.

Zhou Zhou’s expression cracked. “Holy shit—are you kidding me? You’ve got four claws?!”

His beast claws loosened instinctively, letting Feng Ling’s bone blade slam into the ground. He sprang back in a single leap, landing near the van, crouched low like a predator, staring at her.

Feng Ling looked like she wanted to tear something apart.

Zhou Zhou’s beast claws had never failed him. Even against that bone blade, he should’ve had the advantage.

But Feng Ling still had two hands. And an axe.

Zhou Zhou snapped his head around and shouted at his team. “Are you all dead?! Help me!”

The team members hesitated, trading looks.

One of them pulled out a phone and spoke carefully. “Deputy Captain… Captain Su is video calling.”

On the screen, Su Yu Qing’s face appeared—handsome, severe, unimpressed.

Zhou Zhou roared, “Who called him?! I can handle this!”

Su Yu Qing ignored him completely. His voice stayed cool. “Hand the phone to Feng Ling.”

Zhou Zhou: “…What?”

The team member gave Zhou Zhou an awkward smile and carried the phone toward Feng Ling.

Zhou Zhou stared, then surged after them. “You’re ignoring me?! Su, you believe her over me?!”

“You said you could handle it,” Su Yu Qing replied, calm as a scalpel. “So I’ll handle her side.”

Zhou Zhou’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to explode.

Feng Ling saw Su Yu Qing on the screen. Her expression eased a fraction—but she didn’t lower the axe.

Su Yu Qing looked straight at her. “What happened?”

“He damaged my car.” Feng Ling stepped aside and pointed at the deep claw marks on the door. “It’s a rental truck. The deposit is one thousand. Any damage means I pay repair fees and the deposit doesn’t come back.”

She hit the last part hard, like it was the real crime.

Su Yu Qing’s jaw flexed. He kept his voice steady and turned it on Zhou Zhou. “Deputy Captain Zhou. Why did you damage her car?”

Zhou Zhou answered like the world was stupid. “She’s hiding an aberrant.”

Su Yu Qing shifted his gaze back to Feng Ling. “Are you hiding an aberrant?”

“I’m not hiding it,” Feng Ling said. “I’m raising it.”

Zhou Zhou exploded. “How is that not the same thing?!”

“It’s not.” Feng Ling’s voice stayed even. “It’s my ability card power.”

She waved at the cab. “Come here.”

Huang Fu Miao Miao sat frozen, toes curling against the floor, helpless. She bit her lip and climbed out slowly, then stood beside Feng Ling with her head lowered, like she was waiting to be sentenced.

Feng Ling looked at her. “Call me Mom.”

Huang Fu Miao Miao’s eyes flew up. “…M-mom?”

Feng Ling pointed at Su Yu Qing on the screen. “Call him Uncle.”

Understanding struck. Huang Fu Miao Miao nodded quickly at the phone. “Hello, Uncle.”

Feng Ling turned the screen slightly as if presenting evidence. “See? Ability card power.”

Zhou Zhou’s face contorted. “You’ve got nerve, making up bullshit like that.”

Feng Ling tilted her head. “Just tell me if it’s useful.”

Zhou Zhou started to spit out a curse.

Feng Ling cut him off. “Can you tell humans from aberrants?”

Zhou Zhou’s mouth snapped shut.

Feng Ling patted Huang Fu Miao Miao’s head once. “She can.”

Feng Ling’s smile sharpened. “Can you tell ordinary humans from humans with ability cards?”

Zhou Zhou’s face darkened.

Feng Ling patted Huang Fu Miao Miao’s head again, light and casual. “She can.”

Zhou Zhou’s chest tightened with frustration. He couldn’t even argue.