The upcoming conference was a monumental affair for the atavists. Not a single soul could afford to ignore it, as it directly concerned their livelihood and future.
Long Yiming had been clearly anxious for the past half-month. The other prominent families were holding online meetings every few days and dragging Jing Pei into the calls. After all, she wasn’t just a genius. She was also hugely popular with the public and highly regarded by the government. Her opinion would carry a lot of weight at the conference table.
But after attending only two of those exhausting sessions, Jing Pei dumped the responsibility on Chu Xusheng and had him attend in her place. This left the stubborn, old-fashioned elders fuming and tugging at their beards. Yet there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. Sending a trusted household retainer to listen was at least a gesture of respect, allowing them to save some face.
Their anxiety stemmed from a singular fear: would the government seize this opportunity to abolish the Atavist Management Regulations? In their heart of hearts, they believed the authorities wouldn’t dare wield such a drastic blade. Severing those regulations would instantly poison the fragile peace between atavists and ordinary humans. Indeed, to appease the public and smooth over rising tensions, these once-proud families had already bowed their heads, filming documentaries to help common folks understand their world—a clear plea for peace.
But the sheer scale of the government’s preparations made it clear that they wouldn’t sit back and do nothing. The real question was what exactly they planned to do and how far they were willing to go.
The conference would bring together representatives from every atavist family in the country, regional officials from all thirty-two prefectures, and key delegates from the People’s Congress. It was a massive, game-changing event that could alter the country’s future forever. Even foreign superpowers were watching from the sidelines, waiting to see which way the wind would blow.
And yet, despite the national suspense, the residents of the Nevergone District remained entirely indifferent. To them, the high-stakes political theater of the outside world felt like a distant fairy tale.
For some time now, Min Jing and her mutual aid society had been quietly investigating a string of mysterious disappearances in the district. Even as they dug for clues, the number of missing people continued to climb, leaving Min Jing and her team overwhelmed.
“Let’s just call the police,” Min Yue said, suddenly rolling over. She was a nimble girl with warm, wheat-toned skin, carrying the lithe grace of a leopard cat.
“What are you talking about, sweetie?” Min Jing blinked, taken aback.
“I’m serious, Mom. I have this awful, sinking feeling in my chest. And it’s only getting worse.”
Min Jing never brushed off her daughter’s instincts. After a moment of careful thought, she replied gently, “If we go to the police, we already know what they’ll say. They’ll say the missing people probably packed up and left on their own. Besides, there isn’t a single surveillance camera inside or outside the Nevergone District.”
Most people here were drifters, lost souls wandering in both mind and body, completely cut off from the outside world.
“If the local police won’t help, we’ll go to the Tribunal Division!”
Jing Pei’s face immediately appeared in Min Yue’s mind. The girl appeared on television so often that she was nearly impossible to forget.
Seeing her daughter’s determination, Min Jing nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave that part to you.”
“Deal!” Min Yue let out a sigh of relief, wrapping her arms happily around her mother’s.
Just then, a hurried knock rattled the door. A mutual aid member burst in, catching his breath. “We’ve tracked one of the traffickers. We might have stumbled right onto their main hideout.”
Min Jing immediately got up to leave. When Min Yue tried to follow, her mother stopped her. “You have to visit the police and the Tribunal Division tomorrow. Go get some rest and keep your strength up. There’s a whole group of us going; we’ll be perfectly fine.”
Left behind, Min Yue crawled back into bed. Her mind raced with thoughts of her upcoming trip to the Tribunal Division. She wondered if Jing Pei would think she was using the report as a flimsy excuse to repay her for saving them. What kind of favor was that anyway? No, she’s probably too busy to even remember me. Yes, exactly. I’m just there to report a crime, not to see her.
The sudden rush of adrenaline kept her tossing and turning. It took forever for her mind to finally quiet down. As she lay staring into the pitch-black void of her bedroom, the surrounding silence grew so heavy it felt as if she were the only living soul left in the entire world.
Then, it hit her.
That strange, cold dread crept up her spine again, more terrifying and suffocating than ever. Her heart pounded against her ribs as a panic she couldn’t explain took hold of her.
“How long has Mom been gone? Why isn’t she back yet?”
No longer able to bear the silence, she slipped out of bed and hurried through the door. Night in the Nevergone District felt dangerously dark. Thick, swirling fog swallowed the familiar streets, turning them into a haunting maze.
“Mom!”
“Mom, where are you?!”
She ran, her cries echoing through the empty streets. Usually, shouting like this in the dead of night would draw a barrage of angry curses from neighbors, but tonight, there was only a chilling, dead silence.
A crimson moon peeked out from behind dark, bruised clouds, casting an eerie, mocking glow over the valley.
“Yue-Yue!”
Her mother’s voice suddenly cut through the fog—loud, desperate, and thick with terror.
Min Yue spun around. Her mother was running toward her, her face twisted with pure horror.
“Run—” Min Jing screamed, desperately throwing her hand forward, either trying to pull her daughter close or push her away. But before she could finish the word, her voice died.
Her head cut off from her shoulders, tumbling into the dirt. Yet her headless torso kept sprinting forward, her outstretched hand still reaching through the empty air toward her daughter.
Min Yue froze, her mind going blank as her world shattered. The scene was a living nightmare. But what came next was far worse.
Emerging from the fog behind her mother’s corpse was a monster.
“What… what on earth is that…”
Deep within the shadows of the Nevergone District, a new horror had begun.
While the slum was being consumed by terrors unknown to the outside world, the rest of the nation remained transfixed by the upcoming August 20th conference, dubbed the “8.20 Conference.”
Inside a dimly lit, black-walled chamber, a group of figures sat in high-backed chairs, their faces concealed behind various animal masks.
“From the looks of it, this meeting isn’t going to go our way,” one of them remarked.
“The government isn’t about to abolish the Atavist Management Regulations. They’ve always been far too cautious and afraid of making any drastic moves. Now that Long Jin has entered the picture, they’ll want to take things even more slowly.”
“Those pompous atavist families have actually been keeping their heads down lately because they know how much everyone hates them. They’re nothing but cowards. If they had any pride left, they’d fight to the bitter end.”
“It’s a shame our two sister organizations caused so much trouble earlier. We weren’t paying enough attention to the public’s relationship with the atavists, and we missed the perfect window to sow discord. Now that the hostility has cooled down, those brainless fools online are actually starting to worry about the families’ rights. The government won’t have the stomach to crack down hard now.”
“We need to drive a wedge between the families and the state and turn the atavists against ordinary humans. Then we can recruit the angry and dissatisfied ones to our side. If they remain divided, the Tribunal Division won’t pose much of a threat.”
“So, we must force the government’s hand. They have to abolish the regulations at this very meeting.”
“But how? How do we make that happen?”
All eyes turned toward a man sitting quietly in a white fox mask.
A sharp, wicked grin stretched beneath his mask. “Do you all remember that massive joint project the atavist families are currently collaborating on?”
The room fell silent as the realization dawned on them.
The man in the white fox mask let out a low, sinister laugh. “If we sabotage that project, we can destroy whatever goodwill remains between ordinary humans and the atavist families. The public outrage will make the backlash from the Zhou family scandal look insignificant. The government will be backed into a corner, with no choice but to tear down those regulations.”
After a brief, tense silence, soft chuckles began to ripple through the room.
“Genius. That really is a masterstroke.”
In their minds, they could already see the day the atavist families and humanity tore each other apart.
Meanwhile, at the Yunjin Prefecture Tribunal Division Headquarters.
It was closing time.
The Long family’s sleek car pulled up to the curb outside the gates. Jing Pei sat in the backseat, popping a dried plum into her mouth while she waited for Chu Xusheng.
Now that the Twelve Zodiac Academy was on summer break, Jing Pei had stopped dropping by the Tribunal Division to help. If she kept hogging all the cases, her classmates—who were desperate for field experience to earn their graduation credits—would probably glare at her with pure resentment.
Beside her, her own retainers needed these real-world opportunities to grow and test their limits.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she recalled a recent conversation.
Back when Mei Yanlan was still recovering and couldn’t return to duty, Director Qiu Fa had summoned Jing Pei to his office.
“Mei Yanlan can’t supervise you for the time being. You’ll need a new partner,” Qiu Fa had said, pausing as his eyes drifted to a half-empty glass of warm milk sitting right next to his cold, metallic tactical baton. “Or, you can work with me.”
“I think I’m ready to handle missions on my own, Director,” Jing Pei replied lightly.
Qiu Fa’s gaze immediately hardened. “Absolutely not, kid. Have you already forgotten how close you came to losing your horn?”
Jing Pei rubbed her temples with a sigh. “Fine, then I’ll just partner with Teacher Wen.”
“Wen Yuxian is currently busy training Feng Yilian and Chen Mo,” Qiu Fa muttered after a brief silence.
The girl was far too headstrong and very persuasive. She was a natural leader who easily swept others along. If they paired her with an ordinary partner, she would end up calling the shots and reduce her supposed protector to a passive bystander. That was a recipe for disaster in the field.
Jing Pei stared back at him, her large, round, cat-like eyes gleaming with mischievous anticipation.
Under her intense gaze, Qiu Fa awkwardly picked up his glass of milk.
“Well… I actually think I’ll be fine by myself. No partner needed,” the girl declared, her tone completely contradicting the playful challenge in her eyes.
“You need one.”
Right outside the door, his assistant, An Yan, let out a loud splutter, nearly choking on his coffee.
Jing Pei turned her head, waving cheerfully. “Good morning, Mr. An!”
“Good morning!” An Yan wheezed, wiping his mouth. “Honestly, Miss Jing, you should take the Director up on his offer. It’s a rare privilege. He usually works alone, and you’ll learn a lot from him.”
“Ah, but working with a giant cat makes it so hard to focus,” Jing Pei sighed dramatically. “I’m the type of person who just can’t resist petting any kitty in sight. I think I’ll pass.”
This time, An Yan really spat his coffee everywhere, coughing violently.
Qiu Fa took a deep breath, silently reminding himself that the little dragon was still a child and deserved some patience. He leveled a stern look at her. “Then go find Wen Yuxian.”
An Yan stared in disbelief. The Director was actually willing to reassign another team’s instructor just to appease her!
“Hahaha, I’m just teasing you!” Jing Pei laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons like a mischievous child who had successfully pulled off a prank. “I actually just came to finalize my credits. Now that school is out, the division shouldn’t be short on hands anyway. But my retainer will be coming in to help out. Please take good care of him, Director.”
“Got it… anything else?” Qiu Fa asked, his face still dark.
“Dinner’s on me tonight!”
Qiu Fa frowned. He was a grown man; there was no way he was letting a minor buy him dinner. “No need—”
“Oh, but you’ve treated me to meals several times, Director. It’s only polite to return the favor. A good relationship needs a little give-and-take to survive, don’t you think?”
“…” Qiu Fa seemed to seriously ponder the philosophy of give-and-take with a young dragon.
“A fishing boat caught a massive bluefin tuna this morning. They flew it in alive and are keeping it in a tank, waiting for us to arrive before they prepare it fresh.”
Qiu Fa’s eyes instantly lit up.
Jing Pei loved teasing Qiu Fa. He was a fierce, cool big cat, making him really fun to teased, and more over, he was highly competent. She was going to need his help for a lot of things.
Very soon, in fact.
Jing Pei chewed on her dried plum, scrolling through the news on her phone. Officials from various prefectures were already arriving in Yunjin for the August 20th conference.
In the original novel, this meeting had also taken place, though the catalyst hadn’t been Chu Xusheng. In any political arena, power plays were always the result of long, calculated planning rather than sudden whims. Even without Chu Xusheng, the government would have found another pretext to host this conference.
However, because of her intervention, the bad blood between Chu Xusheng and the Zhou family had become the perfect weapon for the state to strip the atavist families of their special privileges.
But things wouldn’t go so smoothly. In the original plot, just as now, the government had no intention of completely stripping their rights overnight—that would trigger a massive backlash and destroy relations entirely.
But there were forces in the shadows desperately praying for exactly that disaster.
Jing Pei searched for updates on the Nevergone District.
Still nothing.
But she knew the storm was brewing. Her secret weapon was about to wake up.
