Chapter Ninety-Four: The Soft Blade

After a long, restful sleep, Qi Chen finally felt somewhat restored. Thanks to the advanced nutrient solution provided by the medical center, his body, weakened from overusing the strange powers, had begun to recover. Although a lingering chill still clung to his limbs, he was much improved compared to the day before—at least now he could sit up in bed by himself.

“Breakfast,” the gentle man who had been keeping him company in the hospital room handed over a meal he’d bought. “How are you feeling now?”

“I’m alright. I think I’ll be fully recovered before long. Aren’t you needed back at the department? Isn’t this exactly when they’re short-handed?”

Li Lao had left the city, taking several groups of powerful strange-walkers with him from City Three. The Department for Handling the Uncanny was indeed understaffed, especially since the lingering forces of the recent uncanny events within the city still needed to be dealt with—something only uncanny walkers could handle.

“They’ll manage. If there’s a true emergency, I’ll go without you saying so. For now, my job is to stay here and keep an eye on you,” the gentle man replied, crossing one leg over the other as he sat. “If anything happened to you, that would be a terrible loss, wouldn’t it?”

He was worried that internal enemies might send someone while Qi Chen was still weak. Without his presence, Qi Chen, currently unable to fight, would have no means of defending himself.

After chatting idly for a while, a sudden knock at the door interrupted them.

The gentle man frowned slightly and got up to open it.

Standing outside were a man and a woman, both dressed in the uniform of the Administrative Hall, their faces bearing polite smiles.

“Good morning. We’re from the Action Group of the Administrative Hall, responsible for investigating the recent citywide uncanny incident,” the male official stated his purpose without preamble. “May we come in?”

Though a trace of displeasure appeared on his face, the gentle man stepped aside to let the two officials in.

“Forgive the interruption,” said the official amiably, first offering some flattery to Qi Chen. “You must be Mr. Mask. Your codename is renowned within our ranks—countless citizens owe their lives to your efforts.

“Of course, all members of the Uncanny Handling Department have made invaluable contributions to the safety of City Three. I have always held the utmost respect for those of you on the front lines.”

“What exactly do you want?” the gentle man interrupted impatiently.

The official named Wang smiled, unaffected by the less-than-friendly tone. “As I mentioned, we’re here to investigate the recent citywide uncanny incident. Specifically, we’d like to ask you, Mr. Mask, and you as well, some questions about your actions during the operation.”

As Wang spoke, the female official accompanying him began swiftly jotting notes into a small recording book, clearly documenting the conversation.

“First question: Do you think Captain Fu should be held responsible for this large-scale disaster?”

At once, Qi Chen and the gentle man exchanged instinctive glances. They both realized that an attack on another front had arrived sooner than expected.

“I believe Captain Fu did nothing wrong. Without her, the losses may have been even greater,” Qi Chen replied bluntly, his gaze unwavering as he stared at the officials. Yet their expressions did not change; they, too, were well-trained.

“But according to our intelligence, it appears Captain Fu does bear some responsibility,” Official Wang’s expression grew more stern. “I understand that as her comrades, you might wish to protect her, but that isn’t truly in her best interest.

“To be frank, Captain Fu is currently under review by the Administrative Hall. If you cooperate with our inquiry, you might actually help her.”

“Captain Fu’s situation isn’t looking good at all,” the female official suddenly interjected coldly. “All four city administrators have serious objections to her actions during this incident. This temporary suspension is only the beginning. If you don’t cooperate, she might be exiled beyond the city walls!”

Playing good cop and bad cop, the two officials executed their tactics flawlessly. But faced with this relentless pressure, both Qi Chen and the gentle man merely smiled.

“Officials, we aren’t trying to shield anyone. We’re telling the truth. If you think we’re biased, is it possible… you’re the ones making assumptions? Or perhaps—someone instructed you to do this?” the gentle man replied leisurely, a seasoned veteran unfazed by such transparent interrogation.

Qi Chen, for his part, remained silent, letting his companion take the lead.

It was clear now that those behind the scenes had begun targeting Ying. They hadn’t expected to break through via this approach, yet here they were trying anyway.

The officials, maintaining polite smiles despite the rebuff, skipped that line of questioning and continued:

“Next question. Are you aware… that there may be a traitor within City Three?”

This time, both Qi Chen and the gentle man fell silent, unable to discern the motive behind such a question.

Even within the Uncanny Handling Department, this information was treated as top secret, known only to a handful of uncanny walkers. Yet now, the Administrative Hall’s investigators were bringing it up—interrogating them directly about it.

“In the course of this citywide uncanny event, we uncovered substantial evidence supporting this claim. Many enemies disguised themselves as special operatives from the Uncanny Handling Department to launch attacks within the city. The only ones who could supply such resources are from your department. We suspect there is a traitor among your senior ranks.”

“Who do you think it could be?”

At that moment, Qi Chen finally understood the true intentions and affiliations of the officials questioning them—without a doubt, they were agents of those pulling strings behind the scenes.

As everyone knew, the Uncanny Handling Department, by virtue of its function, demanded absolute decisiveness and execution; in truth, there was only one true leader—Fu Ying. Her orders superseded all others within the department.

The officials were one step short of outright accusing Fu Ying of being the traitor.

And questioning Qi Chen and the gentle man wasn’t about cooperation at all.

No matter how they answered, the officials would twist their words to achieve the desired outcome… because both men were Fu Ying’s comrades, and in a sense, could be labeled—

Accomplices.

…