Bureau of Demon Affairs CH5
Chapter 5: Unexpected Harvest
Zhou Xun watched as the deity before her suddenly broke into a cryptic smile, revealing two snow-white, pointed fangs. She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, mocking her for being so buried in casework that she’d left him hanging all morning or if he was just in a strange mood. Yesterday, he’d been brimming with energy, chasing Demon traces and scurrying across the mountainside with her as if it were a grand adventure.
Thinking of that, a chill ran down Zhou Xun’s spine. The trail of the Demon had vanished at the foot of the mountain. A killer with such a brutal modus operandi had vanished into the city, blending into the crowd. How could she not be worried?
Returning from her thoughts, Zhou Xun gave the plastic bag in her hand a quick shake. The heavy, savory scent of fried food wafted out. She had intended to thank the Immortal Lord properly for his help on the mountain, and Miao Wu had suggested fried chicken, noting the deity’s interest in it the day before.
"This is?" Shen Gongbao retracted his fangs, his eyes fixed on the bag.
"It’s fried chicken. I realize an Immortal Lord might not require sustenance like us mortals, but as your Divine Envoy, it is only proper that I offer a tribute to you, the Venerable Lord." Zhou Xun recited the line like she was reading from a textbook. It was exactly what Miao Wu had coached her to say.
Under the warm sun, Shen Gongbao’s brilliant golden eyes narrowed. His smile turned sweet as honey, it was clear he found the flattery quite palatable.
Huh. For an ancient god, he’s surprisingly easy to bribe, Zhou Xun thought.
"Not bad, not bad. A student worth teaching," he murmured, lightly catching the scent of the chicken in the air.
Zhou Xun, who had been living on a strict regimen of lettuce, boiled eggs, and chicken breast for her fitness routine, felt her mouth water at the smell of grease. She hadn't had a real meal since yesterday morning. Her stomach betrayed her with a massive, resonant growl. It was loud enough that a passing pedestrian actually looked up at the sky, wondering if they’d just heard thunder.
Zhou Xun remained expressionless. Her philosophy for survival had always been: If I don't act embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to everyone else.
"Since you are hungry, take it and eat," Shen Gongbao said with a dismissive tilt of his chin.
"That... wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"
"It matters not. If the Divine Envoy eats the tribute, it is merely a way of spreading the blessing."
You’re a pretty decent god, aren't you? Zhou Xun thought. He didn't eat, drink, or use the bathroom—he was remarkably low-maintenance.
"Venerable Lord, as you've seen, the Bureau is swamped with a major case. I’m not going to have much free time," Zhou Xun said, choosing her words carefully. "I'm likely not a qualified Divine Envoy. If it bothers you, perhaps you should find someone else while Senior Duan is still in town."
She looked up at him. Even in shoes, she rarely met anyone, be it male or female, who towered over her by such a significant margin. It was a novel experience.
"That will not be necessary. The current arrangement is fine," the deity replied instantly. "Though you are my envoy, do not feel constrained. Simply think of me as a passing breeze by your side."
This guy certainly has a way with flowery language, she thought.
As he spoke, his eyes seemed to glow even more brilliantly in the sunlight. The vertical slits of his pupils and that sharp, fanged smile gave Zhou Xun a sudden, cold jolt of alarm. The kind of instinctual fear felt by prey in the presence of an apex predator. She wondered what his true form was. A snake? A feline? Given his name, a large leopard seemed the most likely candidate.
* * *
After polishing off the chicken and sleeping off the guilt with a two-hour nap at her desk, Zhou Xun woke up feeling slightly more human. Despite the noisy office, her exhaustion from the mountain trek had finally caught up to her.
She sat up to find the new recruit, Tang Na, hovering over her with a jacket, looking unsure if she should cover her.
"Captain Zhou, do you want to rest a bit longer?"
"No, I'm good now." Zhou Xun climbed out of her chair, looking haggard. The buttons of her sleeve had left a red indentation on her forehead, making her look like she’d grown a third eye. She placed her pen back into the holder. She had been tracing the logic of the case in her notebook until the moment she'd passed out.
She turned to see Shen Gongbao entertaining himself nearby. He was floating between desks, peering at computer screens and pestering employees with questions. To him, every modern gadget was a mystery. Nine out of ten people in the office were demons, and they were all visibly sweating under the crushing weight of his divine aura.
"Venerable Lord!" Zhou Xun called out, hurrying to rein him in before productivity hit zero. She felt less like an investigator and more like a woman who had brought her pet to the office.
Thankfully, he came when called. The employee he’d been staring at let out a massive sigh of relief.
Just then, Miao Wu walked in lugging a heavy crate.
"What's that?" Tang Na asked curiously, leaning in to peer inside. She pulled out a smooth, translucent sphere the size of a pigeon's egg. It was white and iridescent.
Before Miao Wu could explain, Shen Gongbao identified it: "Mermaid's Tears."
"Exactly! Man, the Venerable Lord truly is knowledgeable!" Miao Wu began his usual round of flattery. Zhou Xun noticed that Miao Wu was becoming quite a fan of Shen Gongbao. Perhaps it was some kind of feline-to-feline affinity.
Tang Na was thrilled. It was her first time seeing Mermaid’s Tears. She’d heard that Mer-folk were breathtakingly beautiful
"So, are we going on a mermaid hunt?" Tang Na asked, looking like a child ready to go beachcombing.
Miao Wu shook his head. "Not exactly. A few months ago, some of our guys busted a ring selling these illegally, but the seller is a slippery one. We’ve been tailing them for months. This was Captain Zhou’s lead, but with the murder investigation taking priority, this had to be sidelined."
Shen Gongbao reached into the box, picking out a few misshapen, irregular pearls. "The quality of these 'tears' is inconsistent," he remarked.
"Right," Miao Wu agreed. "The latest batches are getting worse. I’m worried about the Mermaid's mental state."
Tang Na’s expression darkened. She knew that Mermaid's Tears were only produced during moments of extreme emotional distress or physical pain. This wasn't just illegal luxury trade, it was a kidnapping and torture case. Mer-folk were notoriously simple-minded and gentle, making them an easy target for traffickers. They were a critically endangered species for a reason.
Shen Gongbao listened to them for a moment before speaking up. "Ben zuo happens to know a much easier way to accumulate wealth."
All eyes turned to him. Satisfied with the attention, he continued slowly, "The art of turning stone to gold."
He formed a hand seal and tapped the pen holder on Zhou Xun’s desk. Instantly, the wooden holder and the handful of ballpoint pens inside turned into shimmering, solid gold.
In a room full of people trying to keep a low profile, he had just become a massive beacon.
Zhou Xun stared at her desk, horrified. "Change it back!"
"Why?" Shen Gongbao asked, sounding slighted. In the old days, people would have begged for such a miracle.
"First, this counts as illegal gains. Second, transmutation spells are strictly regulated and require an official approved permit. And finally, if you don't change it back right now, I have to write a report about it."
She gave the deity a stern lecture on modern law. Shen Gongbao flashed his fangs, still annoyed, but he complied. The gold reverted to wood. Zhou Xun grabbed her pen holder—the one she’d used since middle school—and hid it behind her monitor.
* * *
After a quick splash of water to her face, Zhou Xun hurried to the Forensics Department.
The forensic pathologist, Zheng Huiyu, was a whirlwind of activity. She had just finished with the goat-demon and was now piecing together the dismembered remains from the car. It had taken her and her assistants hours just to peel the decayed tissue off the leather seats.
By the time Zhou Xun arrived, the body was mostly assembled on the steel table. Zheng Huiyu was currently suturing Zhang Guangjun's head back onto his torso. It was a grim sight. Sadly, with two internal organs and his entire face missing, he would never achieve the traditional Chinese ideal of being buried "whole."
"Zhang Guangjun’s wife came to identify him last night," Zheng Huiyu said quietly. "She’s a small, introverted woman. Their son is only in second grade. She sat outside the Bureau holding the boy and crying for hours."
Zhang Guangjun had been a family man. He’d gone into business with Yang Yue years ago, only to discover recently that Yang had been embezzling funds, causing them massive losses.
"There’s the motive," Zhou Xun muttered. She looked at the raw, faceless skull on the table. The edges of the wound where the skin had been removed were jagged and crude. Zheng’s analysis confirmed that the skin had been torn away by sharp, demon-like claws—the exact signature of the notorious serial killer from thirteen years ago.
"Is Zhu Zhu here?"
"She was here this morning," Zheng replied. "She scanned the cranium for a reconstruction. Zhang Guangjun’s wife brought over some photos, too." She pointed to a table covered in pictures: Zhang Guangjun as a young man, wedding photos, and a recent family portrait from when the son was just a month old.
Zhou Xun nodded. With the scans, they could create a facial model. If anyone matching his face appeared on the city’s CCTV, they’d be one step closer to the killer. It would also allow them to reconstruct Zhang’s face for the funeral, a small mercy for his family.
"So far, no one has come for Yang Yue’s body," Zheng Huiyu added.
Zhou Xun sighed. It had only been a day, someone would come eventually. Zheng looked exhausted, she had just come back from maternity leave and was already pulling overtime while her infant was at home. Zhou Xun wanted to tell her to go home, but the case was too urgent.
Before leaving, Zhou Xun decided to take one more look at the white sedan where the body was found. Though the maggots and flies were gone, the interior was a blood-stained nightmare. Forensic evidence had already been gathered, but they’d found almost nothing of value.
The case was at a standstill.
Zhou Xun paced around the car, looking at the deep dents in the frame. She pictured the vehicle careening through the woods, slamming into trees in a frantic, violent struggle. She leaned into the cabin, the smell of rot still clung to the fabric. The seats were shredded, springs and foam poking out. Even the rearview mirror and steering wheel had been snapped.
The killer possessed terrifying physical strength.
The Immortal Lord had been with her at the scene. While he could recognize the "scent" of the traces, he couldn't identify the specific type of Demon. It was understandable as he had been locked away for so long that the modern Demon world was unrecognizable to him.
However, Zhou Xun looked at the broken rearview mirror again. "Was anything hanging from this rearview mirror?" she asked a nearby technician.
The man shook his head. "Nothing. We didn't find any ornaments in the vehicle."
Zhou Xun pulled out her phone and called Captain Du. He usually handled the families since her "low EQ" was legendary. Du Xingwang often said, "The families are suffering enough; they don't need to face you, too."
"Captain Du, it's me. Ask Zhang Guangjun’s wife if there was anything hanging from the car's rearview mirror."
The reply came quickly. It had been a custom ornament—a family portrait.
Zhou Xun’s heart skipped a heavy, jagged beat.
"Captain!" she barked, her voice tight with urgency. "Get your 'Chameleon' officer to Zhang Guangjun's house immediately. I want them guarded day and night!"
The 'Chameleon' is a codename for a Bureau member specialized in stealth and cloaking. They were the only ones suited for such a risky stakeout.
She knew it with a cold, sinking certainty: "The Leatherface" was back.
That familiar, sickening shiver crawled up her spine—the exact same dread that had paralyzed her thirteen years ago, when she stood face-to-face with the monster.
P: No glossary for this chapter. But my friend who requested this novel was confused about Shen Gongbao's "Immortal Lord" vs. "Venerable Lord" terminology. So based from what I've read: An Immortal or Immortal Lord is the general cultivation stage or rank held by all deities in this novel while 'Venerable Lord', is a title used specifically for Shen Gongbao because even though he’s currently at the bottom of the deity hierarchy, he's still a legendary figure who has lived for thousands of years... Well, that's my understanding but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, Thanks for reading!
Zhou Xun watched as the deity before her suddenly broke into a cryptic smile, revealing two snow-white, pointed fangs. She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, mocking her for being so buried in casework that she’d left him hanging all morning or if he was just in a strange mood. Yesterday, he’d been brimming with energy, chasing Demon traces and scurrying across the mountainside with her as if it were a grand adventure.
Thinking of that, a chill ran down Zhou Xun’s spine. The trail of the Demon had vanished at the foot of the mountain. A killer with such a brutal modus operandi had vanished into the city, blending into the crowd. How could she not be worried?
Returning from her thoughts, Zhou Xun gave the plastic bag in her hand a quick shake. The heavy, savory scent of fried food wafted out. She had intended to thank the Immortal Lord properly for his help on the mountain, and Miao Wu had suggested fried chicken, noting the deity’s interest in it the day before.
"This is?" Shen Gongbao retracted his fangs, his eyes fixed on the bag.
"It’s fried chicken. I realize an Immortal Lord might not require sustenance like us mortals, but as your Divine Envoy, it is only proper that I offer a tribute to you, the Venerable Lord." Zhou Xun recited the line like she was reading from a textbook. It was exactly what Miao Wu had coached her to say.
Under the warm sun, Shen Gongbao’s brilliant golden eyes narrowed. His smile turned sweet as honey, it was clear he found the flattery quite palatable.
Huh. For an ancient god, he’s surprisingly easy to bribe, Zhou Xun thought.
"Not bad, not bad. A student worth teaching," he murmured, lightly catching the scent of the chicken in the air.
Zhou Xun, who had been living on a strict regimen of lettuce, boiled eggs, and chicken breast for her fitness routine, felt her mouth water at the smell of grease. She hadn't had a real meal since yesterday morning. Her stomach betrayed her with a massive, resonant growl. It was loud enough that a passing pedestrian actually looked up at the sky, wondering if they’d just heard thunder.
Zhou Xun remained expressionless. Her philosophy for survival had always been: If I don't act embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to everyone else.
"Since you are hungry, take it and eat," Shen Gongbao said with a dismissive tilt of his chin.
"That... wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"
"It matters not. If the Divine Envoy eats the tribute, it is merely a way of spreading the blessing."
You’re a pretty decent god, aren't you? Zhou Xun thought. He didn't eat, drink, or use the bathroom—he was remarkably low-maintenance.
"Venerable Lord, as you've seen, the Bureau is swamped with a major case. I’m not going to have much free time," Zhou Xun said, choosing her words carefully. "I'm likely not a qualified Divine Envoy. If it bothers you, perhaps you should find someone else while Senior Duan is still in town."
She looked up at him. Even in shoes, she rarely met anyone, be it male or female, who towered over her by such a significant margin. It was a novel experience.
"That will not be necessary. The current arrangement is fine," the deity replied instantly. "Though you are my envoy, do not feel constrained. Simply think of me as a passing breeze by your side."
This guy certainly has a way with flowery language, she thought.
As he spoke, his eyes seemed to glow even more brilliantly in the sunlight. The vertical slits of his pupils and that sharp, fanged smile gave Zhou Xun a sudden, cold jolt of alarm. The kind of instinctual fear felt by prey in the presence of an apex predator. She wondered what his true form was. A snake? A feline? Given his name, a large leopard seemed the most likely candidate.
* * *
After polishing off the chicken and sleeping off the guilt with a two-hour nap at her desk, Zhou Xun woke up feeling slightly more human. Despite the noisy office, her exhaustion from the mountain trek had finally caught up to her.
She sat up to find the new recruit, Tang Na, hovering over her with a jacket, looking unsure if she should cover her.
"Captain Zhou, do you want to rest a bit longer?"
"No, I'm good now." Zhou Xun climbed out of her chair, looking haggard. The buttons of her sleeve had left a red indentation on her forehead, making her look like she’d grown a third eye. She placed her pen back into the holder. She had been tracing the logic of the case in her notebook until the moment she'd passed out.
She turned to see Shen Gongbao entertaining himself nearby. He was floating between desks, peering at computer screens and pestering employees with questions. To him, every modern gadget was a mystery. Nine out of ten people in the office were demons, and they were all visibly sweating under the crushing weight of his divine aura.
"Venerable Lord!" Zhou Xun called out, hurrying to rein him in before productivity hit zero. She felt less like an investigator and more like a woman who had brought her pet to the office.
Thankfully, he came when called. The employee he’d been staring at let out a massive sigh of relief.
Just then, Miao Wu walked in lugging a heavy crate.
"What's that?" Tang Na asked curiously, leaning in to peer inside. She pulled out a smooth, translucent sphere the size of a pigeon's egg. It was white and iridescent.
Before Miao Wu could explain, Shen Gongbao identified it: "Mermaid's Tears."
"Exactly! Man, the Venerable Lord truly is knowledgeable!" Miao Wu began his usual round of flattery. Zhou Xun noticed that Miao Wu was becoming quite a fan of Shen Gongbao. Perhaps it was some kind of feline-to-feline affinity.
Tang Na was thrilled. It was her first time seeing Mermaid’s Tears. She’d heard that Mer-folk were breathtakingly beautiful
"So, are we going on a mermaid hunt?" Tang Na asked, looking like a child ready to go beachcombing.
Miao Wu shook his head. "Not exactly. A few months ago, some of our guys busted a ring selling these illegally, but the seller is a slippery one. We’ve been tailing them for months. This was Captain Zhou’s lead, but with the murder investigation taking priority, this had to be sidelined."
Shen Gongbao reached into the box, picking out a few misshapen, irregular pearls. "The quality of these 'tears' is inconsistent," he remarked.
"Right," Miao Wu agreed. "The latest batches are getting worse. I’m worried about the Mermaid's mental state."
Tang Na’s expression darkened. She knew that Mermaid's Tears were only produced during moments of extreme emotional distress or physical pain. This wasn't just illegal luxury trade, it was a kidnapping and torture case. Mer-folk were notoriously simple-minded and gentle, making them an easy target for traffickers. They were a critically endangered species for a reason.
Shen Gongbao listened to them for a moment before speaking up. "Ben zuo happens to know a much easier way to accumulate wealth."
All eyes turned to him. Satisfied with the attention, he continued slowly, "The art of turning stone to gold."
He formed a hand seal and tapped the pen holder on Zhou Xun’s desk. Instantly, the wooden holder and the handful of ballpoint pens inside turned into shimmering, solid gold.
In a room full of people trying to keep a low profile, he had just become a massive beacon.
Zhou Xun stared at her desk, horrified. "Change it back!"
"Why?" Shen Gongbao asked, sounding slighted. In the old days, people would have begged for such a miracle.
"First, this counts as illegal gains. Second, transmutation spells are strictly regulated and require an official approved permit. And finally, if you don't change it back right now, I have to write a report about it."
She gave the deity a stern lecture on modern law. Shen Gongbao flashed his fangs, still annoyed, but he complied. The gold reverted to wood. Zhou Xun grabbed her pen holder—the one she’d used since middle school—and hid it behind her monitor.
* * *
After a quick splash of water to her face, Zhou Xun hurried to the Forensics Department.
The forensic pathologist, Zheng Huiyu, was a whirlwind of activity. She had just finished with the goat-demon and was now piecing together the dismembered remains from the car. It had taken her and her assistants hours just to peel the decayed tissue off the leather seats.
By the time Zhou Xun arrived, the body was mostly assembled on the steel table. Zheng Huiyu was currently suturing Zhang Guangjun's head back onto his torso. It was a grim sight. Sadly, with two internal organs and his entire face missing, he would never achieve the traditional Chinese ideal of being buried "whole."
"Zhang Guangjun’s wife came to identify him last night," Zheng Huiyu said quietly. "She’s a small, introverted woman. Their son is only in second grade. She sat outside the Bureau holding the boy and crying for hours."
Zhang Guangjun had been a family man. He’d gone into business with Yang Yue years ago, only to discover recently that Yang had been embezzling funds, causing them massive losses.
"There’s the motive," Zhou Xun muttered. She looked at the raw, faceless skull on the table. The edges of the wound where the skin had been removed were jagged and crude. Zheng’s analysis confirmed that the skin had been torn away by sharp, demon-like claws—the exact signature of the notorious serial killer from thirteen years ago.
"Is Zhu Zhu here?"
"She was here this morning," Zheng replied. "She scanned the cranium for a reconstruction. Zhang Guangjun’s wife brought over some photos, too." She pointed to a table covered in pictures: Zhang Guangjun as a young man, wedding photos, and a recent family portrait from when the son was just a month old.
Zhou Xun nodded. With the scans, they could create a facial model. If anyone matching his face appeared on the city’s CCTV, they’d be one step closer to the killer. It would also allow them to reconstruct Zhang’s face for the funeral, a small mercy for his family.
"So far, no one has come for Yang Yue’s body," Zheng Huiyu added.
Zhou Xun sighed. It had only been a day, someone would come eventually. Zheng looked exhausted, she had just come back from maternity leave and was already pulling overtime while her infant was at home. Zhou Xun wanted to tell her to go home, but the case was too urgent.
Before leaving, Zhou Xun decided to take one more look at the white sedan where the body was found. Though the maggots and flies were gone, the interior was a blood-stained nightmare. Forensic evidence had already been gathered, but they’d found almost nothing of value.
The case was at a standstill.
Zhou Xun paced around the car, looking at the deep dents in the frame. She pictured the vehicle careening through the woods, slamming into trees in a frantic, violent struggle. She leaned into the cabin, the smell of rot still clung to the fabric. The seats were shredded, springs and foam poking out. Even the rearview mirror and steering wheel had been snapped.
The killer possessed terrifying physical strength.
The Immortal Lord had been with her at the scene. While he could recognize the "scent" of the traces, he couldn't identify the specific type of Demon. It was understandable as he had been locked away for so long that the modern Demon world was unrecognizable to him.
However, Zhou Xun looked at the broken rearview mirror again. "Was anything hanging from this rearview mirror?" she asked a nearby technician.
The man shook his head. "Nothing. We didn't find any ornaments in the vehicle."
Zhou Xun pulled out her phone and called Captain Du. He usually handled the families since her "low EQ" was legendary. Du Xingwang often said, "The families are suffering enough; they don't need to face you, too."
"Captain Du, it's me. Ask Zhang Guangjun’s wife if there was anything hanging from the car's rearview mirror."
The reply came quickly. It had been a custom ornament—a family portrait.
Zhou Xun’s heart skipped a heavy, jagged beat.
"Captain!" she barked, her voice tight with urgency. "Get your 'Chameleon' officer to Zhang Guangjun's house immediately. I want them guarded day and night!"
The 'Chameleon' is a codename for a Bureau member specialized in stealth and cloaking. They were the only ones suited for such a risky stakeout.
She knew it with a cold, sinking certainty: "The Leatherface" was back.
That familiar, sickening shiver crawled up her spine—the exact same dread that had paralyzed her thirteen years ago, when she stood face-to-face with the monster.
Translator's Note:
P: No glossary for this chapter. But my friend who requested this novel was confused about Shen Gongbao's "Immortal Lord" vs. "Venerable Lord" terminology. So based from what I've read: An Immortal or Immortal Lord is the general cultivation stage or rank held by all deities in this novel while 'Venerable Lord', is a title used specifically for Shen Gongbao because even though he’s currently at the bottom of the deity hierarchy, he's still a legendary figure who has lived for thousands of years... Well, that's my understanding but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, Thanks for reading!
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