novelraw Chapter 302: Every Step a Heartbeat
Chapter 302: Every Step a Heartbeat
"Wait! Qin Bai, you just said… the Transcendence Society is also hunting him, and it's because he stole the method to summon the Mist?"
Han Xiao's brow tightened. "How do you know such core intelligence from inside the Transcendence Society? Their movements are always secretive, and even the mole we planted has trouble reaching that level of information."
Ling Shuang remained silent, but her cold eyes fixed on Qin Bai.
For Qin Bai to state those Transcendence Society secrets so confidently, his source had to be significant.
Facing the group's questioning stares, Qin Bai's expression did not change at all. "Source is confidential, but the information itself is true."
He offered no further explanation, no token or detail to corroborate it—just an almost absolute confidence as he declared the intelligence genuine.
Han Xiao opened his mouth to ask more, but seeing Qin Bai clearly unwilling to elaborate, he swallowed his words.
He knew Qin Bai's background was complicated and his methods strange;
some intelligence channels were truly beyond their reach.
Ling Shuang also quietly withdrew her gaze and chose to believe.
In struggles at this level, sometimes the process doesn't matter, the result does. Qin Bai continued, "Now, let's move away from trivial matters. What we should discuss is this aberrant's movements and intentions."
Han Xiao nodded, asking no more. "That Black City, the lawless place—if he really hid there, wouldn't that make it even harder for us?"
"That doesn't mean we will give up."
Qin Bai smiled. "We know his likely destination. Next, our focus is Black City. The target has probably already entered, or is attempting to enter Black City. Conventional methods are limited there, so we need flexibility. Prepare two approaches."
Hearing this, everyone refocused on the matter, waiting for Qin Bai to continue.
Qin Bai raised one finger. "First, use off-the-books personnel with clean backgrounds. Send them into Black City under private identities. Their task is covert investigation: confirm whether Chen Qing has already arrived, and, as much as possible, find out his lodgings and current situation. Remember, investigate, do not apprehend. Acting openly in Black City costs too much and will alert the prey."
Han Xiao nodded thoughtfully. "Recruit local bigwigs? Or awakeneds outside official channels—good idea. At least we'll know if that brat is really in there."
Qin Bai raised a second finger. "Second, blockade and surveillance. If he's likely heading for Black City, set up hidden sentries along the key routes that lead there, and at Black City's public and semi-public entrances. Maintain twenty-four-hour stations. I want to know every recent person attempting to enter Black City, especially lone travelers. Even if he disguises himself as a beggar, if he passes these checkpoints, he'll leave traces. Two-pronged approach. Outside the city, we cast a net to try to intercept him before he steps into Black City. Inside the city, we plant eyes to track his movements. Once we confirm he's inside, we'll have plenty of ways to play with him."
Orders were issued quickly.
Members of the Aberrant Purge Division received the commands and immediately set plans into motion.
…
Su Zhan stumbled along a disused country road abandoned for years. He had chosen this path carefully;
it was relatively hidden, but clearly could not entirely escape official sight.
Two plainclothes men appeared around a bend and directly blocked his way.
One of them flashed an unobtrusive badge and spoke in a cold, hard tone, "Stop! Routine inspection! Identification!"
Su Zhan tensed.
The temper of these inspectors was completely different from the earlier patrol—more professional.
He immediately went into character;
his body began to tremble uncontrollably, his gaze vacant, emitting whimpers. His hands pawed at his clothes randomly, as if he couldn't understand what they were saying.
The other man frowned, pulled out a tablet, and quickly brought up several wanted portraits, carefully comparing the facial features to Su Zhan's.
"No ID?"
The first man spoke with appraisal. "What's your name? Where are you from?"
Su Zhan's reaction intensified, as if triggered by their voices. He clutched his head, crouched, buried his face in his knees, and shook violently. "…Don't hit me… bugs… so many bugs… I'm scared…"
He perfectly played the role of a mentally collapsed lunatic.
The two men exchanged a glance.
They inspected Su Zhan's filthy woven plastic bag;
inside were only some moldy food scraps and torn clothing.
The man with the tablet shook his head slightly toward his partner and murmured, "Facial features are blurred, consistent with long-term vagrancy and mental abnormality. Compared to the portraits… similarity is low. The main differences are demeanor and state."
The previously impatient man waved at the curled-up Su Zhan. "Alright! Move on! Don't block the road!"
Su Zhan acted as if absolved, scrambling to his feet, still muttering incoherently, and staggered forward. He turned the corner and slipped out of their sight.
"The thoroughness of checks and personnel professionalism have increased… someone up top issued strict orders…"
Su Zhan's heart sank.
He could clearly feel that this dragnet was becoming more targeted.
"And they seem to be focusing on targets like me… lone travelers moving south."
This was no accident.
Someone had predicted his behavioral pattern.
"It seems the other side has experts… and they might have already guessed my final destination."
Because the inspections kept increasing along the way, which made no sense—normally the farther south you go, the lighter the checks should be.
But reality was the opposite: the closer he got to Black City, the more frequent and meticulous the searches became.
The person hiding behind the scenes had to be an extremely troublesome figure.
Su Zhan's ears twitched. He noticed that although those two had let him pass, one had quietly reported through a communicator.
The content was roughly: "Unit XX road section, found an unnamed vagrant with mental abnormalities, checked, no obvious anomalies found, released."
Such a report was likely part of a wide, procedural system—not specifically targeting him.
But that made it scarier.
It meant the search directive had been refined down to the grassroots, forming a standardized response process.
He had slipped through this time—what about next time?
And the time after?
As long as he remained within their search range, the risk persisted.
"I have to move faster… I must enter Black City before they truly lock onto me!"
Su Zhan suppressed his growing anxiety, forcing himself to keep up the appearance of a deranged, filthy vagrant, while his steps unconsciously quickened.
This last stretch of road would be a constant, heart-stopping danger.