Chapter 66: Feng Sanpao’s Unusual Behavior

“Let these traitors witness my true power—this is what you brought upon yourselves!” The armored man, pinned tightly to the ground, roared with rage, a surge of formidable energy radiating from his body.

Domineering, dignified, noble, solemn—every attribute seemed embodied in him alone. All present were stunned by this sudden aura, as if they truly faced a sovereign, an emperor reigning over all, not some despised impostor.

Nearest to him were the three plainclothes officers. At that moment, their hearts pounded as they gazed at the armored man beneath them, anxiety writ large across their faces. For reasons unknown, they suddenly felt a compulsion—a desire to release the armored man and bow down before him.

A nervous gulp echoed as one plainclothes officer involuntarily loosened his grip on the restrained armored man. The second and third followed suit, not only letting go but stepping aside.

Freed from their restraint, the armored man rose to his feet, a manic grin twisting his face, his voice somewhere between male and female: “You ants, how dare you treat me so? Kneel at once and pay homage to your emperor!”

His words seemed imbued with a strange magic, compelling all who heard them to obey. The officers’ bodies trembled uncontrollably; their eyes glazed over, knees bending slowly, about to bow before the armored man.

Then, a faint gunshot rang out from nearby, shattering the park’s silence. A streak of blue light sliced through the night, aimed above the armored man’s head, creating ripples in the air.

To the police, it seemed Katerina’s shot missed, striking only empty space. Yet they were unaware that Katerina’s marksmanship had undergone special training, renowned for hitting the mark at a hundred paces. Anything she aimed at rarely escaped.

Why hadn’t she shot the armored man? Because from the outset, her target was never him.

When the armored man erupted with that overwhelming, sovereign aura, Katerina understood—their adversary was no longer human. She could smell the nauseating stench emanating from him: cold, evil, viscous. The unique scent of calamity—perceptible only to those with innate gifts.

Previously, she’d refrained from intervening, believing the police were after a common fraudster. The Bureau of Calamity Investigation wielded great authority, but apprehending ordinary people was not within its jurisdiction—that was the police’s domain.

But what if their quarry was not ordinary?

In Katerina’s eyes, a mass of black mist hovered above the armored man’s head, writhing incessantly. A calamity. And eradicating calamities was the Bureau’s task—Katerina was not overstepping.

When the blue flash struck the black mist above the armored man’s head, the plainclothes officers, unable to see the mist, assumed the shot had gone astray. But Katerina knew her aim was true—not at the man’s head, but at the shadowy haze above it.

The bullet pierced the mist, embedding itself in a tree trunk beyond, inflicting no real harm. Yet blue flames clung to the black cloud, burning silently, spreading like wildfire.

The black mist writhed, struggling to shake off the blue blaze, but it was helpless, squealing in a shrill, piercing tone. This was like a signal; the officers, moments from kneeling, snapped back to awareness, their eyes regaining clarity.

They straightened their legs, rose to their feet, breaking free from the mist’s control, regaining their liberty in an instant.

“Keep your distance!” Katerina shouted at the officers. “It’s wounded now and can’t control you any longer.”

Like waking from a dream, the officers quickly retreated from the armored man, putting at least ten meters between them. Though they didn’t know who this gun-wielding, shouting woman was, they sensed her authority.

Faced with such bizarre events, their nerves frayed, they instinctively obeyed the orders of this “high-ranking leader” sent from above.

Seeing the police withdraw from the calamity, Katerina breathed a sigh of relief—now the battle would not be hindered by them.

She raised her gun, taking aim at the black mist, about to pull the trigger when suddenly, a pair of frail hands reached out and pressed down on her weapon.

It was Feng Sanpao, who stopped Katerina’s shot, breaking off her attack. This teammate, who ought to be on Katerina’s side, chose instead to aid the calamity.

Katerina frowned, intending to shove aside the meddlesome Feng Sanpao, but found the armored man had seized the opportunity to leap into the pond, swimming away at breakneck speed.

As the armored man’s figure receded, growing fainter under cover of darkness, Katerina realized she had missed her best chance at pursuit.

“Do you realize what you’ve done?” she snapped at Feng Sanpao, uncharacteristically furious. “You just let an extremely dangerous calamity escape!”

“Normally, your antics could be tolerated, but this time you’ve gone too far!”

Feng Sanpao offered no answer to Katerina’s reproach. He only screamed, face wild with zeal, “Long live the Emperor! The foundation of Great Qin shall endure for millennia!”

His expression and demeanor were identical to those fanatical devotees brainwashed on television, even surpassing them in fervor.

“Are you even listening to me?” Katerina drew a deep breath, her patience nearly spent. But when she looked into Feng Sanpao’s eyes, she was startled to find them empty and dull, hollow like a finely carved puppet.

His mind had been seized by the calamity that possessed the armored man—Katerina realized this instantly.

No wonder his behavior had been so abnormal, kneeling and bowing to the armored man.

With the cause of Feng Sanpao’s actions revealed, Katerina’s anger vanished entirely, leaving her incapable of further rage.

“Comrade, are you alright?” The three plainclothes officers, seeing the armored man gone, hurried to Katerina’s side.

“I’m fine,” Katerina replied flatly. “Please keep a close eye on my colleague—his condition is unusual right now.”

Without a word, the officers grabbed Feng Sanpao’s arms, struggling to pry his hands from Katerina’s gun.

“Comrade, what should we do next?” one officer asked.

“Tonight’s events are to be kept strictly confidential,” Katerina said after a moment’s thought. “Furthermore, from now on, I am officially taking over this case. Your department should cease investigating.”

...

In the VIP hospital ward, Katerina was recounting the night’s events to Chang Yu.

“So you intended to arrest a common fraudster, but stumbled upon a calamity instead?” Chang Yu’s expression was complex—shock tinged with gravity, gravity laced with a hint of relief.

He’d never imagined things would escalate so far, and the surprise was profound. Relief came from Katerina’s safe return, despite facing a calamity alone with insufficient support.

This alone filled Chang Yu with gratitude and joy.

The situation had been so dangerous—if anything had happened to Katerina, he would not even have had time to regret.

“That calamity was of the incorporeal type—fundamentally different from the corporeal one you encountered before,” Katerina explained.

“Incorporeal calamities have no physical form. They often possess humans—much like the demons of Western legend.”

“They specialize in attacks of the mind, able to manipulate and seduce, making people serve them. They are extremely troublesome.”

“Due to their special nature and concealment, they often blend among people, making them hard to detect.”

“Even if gifted individuals spot them, they usually lack means to attack incorporeal calamities, unable to inflict real damage.”

“For this reason, their danger and destructive power surpass corporeal calamities, and their influence is broader.”

Chang Yu nodded repeatedly after her explanation. “Have you reported this to the Bureau?”

“Of course,” Katerina affirmed. “The Bureau decided to assign the case to our team.”

“I’ve accepted the mission—to eradicate that calamity.”

“That’s unacceptable!” Chang Yu immediately protested, anxious. “I’m still injured, unable to fight—I won’t allow you to face that calamity alone.”

“You yourself said it’s dangerous, able to manipulate and seduce minds.”

“I’m not alone,” Katerina replied indifferently. “Feng Sanpao and Shi Chengjin will be with me.”

“Besides, the calamity was at most a Class D. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have fled after taking a shot from me.”

“And my abilities are particularly effective against incorporeal calamities, making me the ideal candidate for this mission.”

Zhen Youcai, though a team member, was non-combatant, so neither considered him in their discussion.

“Those two are unreliable—I can’t trust them to go with you,” Chang Yu said after a brief silence.

“Feng Sanpao succumbed earlier, indicating poor resistance to mental attacks. Against that calamity, he’ll be of little use.”

“If you insist on proceeding, I must accompany you—otherwise, I cannot agree to your undertaking this mission alone...”

Ultimately, the conversation ended without resolution, the two unable to reach consensus.

After Katerina departed, Chang Yu struggled upright, sighing softly.

“Left behind, it seems,” he murmured. “I must continue growing stronger.”

He knew Katerina’s refusal to let him participate stemmed from his injury and limited mobility. The severity of his wounds was primarily due to his own lack of strength; otherwise, he would not have fallen to the cat-faced old woman’s attack.

The root cause—Chang Yu was not strong enough.

To become stronger, he had to practice diligently.

Chang Yu instinctively attempted to circulate the Fuling Heart Sutra, but quickly abandoned the effort. Every time he practiced it in the real world, his chest throbbed with intense pain.

At first, it felt like needle pricks; gradually, it became as if struck by a hammer.

The escalating pain was a clear warning—this method of absorbing spiritual energy from the air was unsuitable for him.

Chang Yu worried that if he continued, he might one day die suddenly in his bed.

He recalled the advice of his master, Hao Er, who said that if ordinary cultivation was ineffective, he should try using a spirit stone.

Thus, he took out a spirit stone gifted by Hao Er, held it in his palm, and began circulating the Fuling Heart Sutra. In that moment, his internal energy seemed to come alive.