Chapter 07: Silence the Mouth 2

Bang—

Officer Huang instantly fired three shots, but because they were too fast, Gao Yang only heard one shot.

At the moment the gunshot rang out, three sparks appeared in the air two meters away from Officer Huang, and he shot down the three daggers that had been aimed at him.

However, the daggers were just a decoy.

Officer Huang was startled when a dark figure suddenly swooped in from the left and appeared right in front of him.

Whoosh— A sharp white blade gleamed.

Officer Huang drew his gun in a split second to block, but the gun was like clay, instantly sliced in half. At the same time, his two fingers were severed as if they were leeks.

Half a second later, Officer Huang's head would be severed.

But that scene didn't happen.

A narrow and sharp Tang knife was pressed against Officer Huang's Adam's apple, but it didn't fall. Soon, the skin on his throat split, and small drops of blood oozed out from the strong blade's force.

Qingling retracted her knife and stepped back two paces. "You're not a Cheng Beast."

Officer Huang covered his bleeding fingers, his face pale from the pain, but he didn't panic or show fear. "How did you know?"

"If you were a Cheng Beast, you would have tried to block my attack with your arms at the last second," Qingling lightly ran her finger along the unbloodied blade, and the Tang knife folded and disappeared in her hand.

"They're very confident in their bodies, it's an instinctive response. Humans are different. Humans would use what they consider their strongest defense to block my strike."

"You're right. I'm also an awakened," Officer Huang smiled. "Thanks for not killing me."

2:00 AM. Sanqing District, Third Hospital Emergency Building.

Officer Huang's fingers had been reattached and bandaged. Gao Yang and Qingling waited in the lobby.

Officer Huang walked out of the hospital, smiling. "Tomorrow, I'll write a report saying you two were robbed by street thugs. I came to help, and got injured accidentally."

Gao Yang and Qingling exchanged looks but didn't say anything.

Officer Huang continued, "Are you hungry? Let's grab something to eat."

The three went to a spicy hotpot stall near the hospital. In an inconspicuous alley, there was a small blue tent, with a cart that had a spicy pot and a small gas canister. The dim yellow lights and fragrant food made it a warm corner in the cold city.

The owner, an elderly man in his sixties, was in high spirits, speaking with a strong voice.

"Officer Huang, you're here! What happened to your hand?"

"Work injury."

"Your job's not easy. I guess no alcohol for you today."

"Yeah, everything else is the same."

"Got it." The old man looked at Gao Yang and Qingling. "What would you like?"

Qingling looked at the menu expressionlessly, quickly thinking, "One skewer of shiitake mushrooms, one of winter melon, one of potatoes, one of cabbage, one of fish balls, one of crab sticks, one of fried gluten, one serving of sweet potato starch. Extra spicy."

Gao Yang was stunned. She really isn't shy.

"Same for me," he replied.

The three of them sat together by the cart, enjoying the hotpot. Officer Huang looked content. "Mmm, the feeling of surviving a close call is great. I thought I might never get to eat this again."

Qingling didn't respond, focused on biting the potatoes.

Gao Yang nervously said, "Officer Huang, we shouldn't talk about these things in public."

Officer Huang looked up and glanced at the old man who was cooking. "It's fine. Uncle Liu is a Lost Beast. Anything he doesn't want to hear, he automatically ignores it. Isn't that right, Uncle Liu?"

Uncle Liu looked up, "What's up?"

"I said today's pig lungs are really crispy, I'll have more."

"Okay!" Uncle Liu laughed cheerfully.

Gao Yang finally relaxed. "Were you testing us earlier?"

Officer Huang's smile was a bit helpless. "I knew you were awakened, but I didn't expect your girlfriend to be as well."

"Not my girlfriend," Qingling said as she finished the potatoes and started on the fish balls.

"Do you remember that mentally ill man I killed?" Officer Huang asked.

"Of course," Gao Yang responded, "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"He was also an awakened one," Officer Huang's eyes showed regret. "But he completely exposed himself, there was no hope. Rather than let him be tortured or eaten by a Cheng Beast, I thought it would be better to send him on his way."

Gao Yang didn't say anything.

"That guy's talent was Sense of Smell, Serial Number 175. He could detect the scent of beasts, so he lived in fear all the time, eventually driving himself insane."

Officer Huang stared at the steaming hotpot, waiting for the pig lungs to cook. "He smelled you were human the moment he saw you and told you to run. If I hadn't shot him, he would've dragged you down."

"…Thanks," Gao Yang's voice tightened.

"It's nothing. We're all in the same boat."

"You mentioned talents," Gao Yang licked his lips. "Does every awakened person have a different talent?"

"Of course," Officer Huang replied. "My talent is Gunslinger, Serial Number 41. I'm an expert with firearms, I never miss, and I can shoot very quickly."

"Then what's my talent?" Gao Yang asked intentionally.

"You've been hiding it all along. I don't have a talent for detection, how would I know?" Officer Huang chuckled.

"Oh."

"Your girlfriend's talent should be Metal, Serial Number 20. She can control any metal element."

"Not my girlfriend," Qingling said as she finished the fish balls and started on the shiitake mushrooms.

Officer Huang looked at Qingling with envy. "Apart from that, she should also have the talent Swordmaster, Serial Number 32. With her swordsmanship and destructive power, she's no ordinary person."

"Can there be multiple talents?" Gao Yang asked.

"When a human awakens, they immediately gain one talent. They can also gain more later, but I still don't fully understand the methods or rules of acquiring them."

"How do you know so much about these talents?" Gao Yang was puzzled. "Does Officer Huang have a system too? That shouldn't be the case."

"I've lived longer than you, and as a cop, I have more access to information," Officer Huang smiled. "Actually, I've seen the complete list of talents before. From what I've experienced, I believe that list is real and reliable."

"How many talents are there in total?" Qingling finished her fish balls and began eating the cabbage.

"There are 199 serial numbers in total. In theory, the lower the number, the stronger the talent," Officer Huang looked at Qingling with admiration. "You're really strong."

Gao Yang's heart sank. "I'm talent number 199, at the bottom, no wonder I don't stand out. 'Lucky,' huh? Lucky my ass."

Qingling put down her chopsticks. "Give me the list."

"There's no physical list," Officer Huang tapped his head. "It's all in here."

"Then tell me."

"Well, I could tell you," Officer Huang smiled faintly. "But there's a condition."

"I knew it," Gao Yang guessed.

"Of course, nothing's free in this world," Officer Huang chuckled meaningfully. "Except this hotpot."