Modu, Household Registration Police Station
The service hall bustled with an endless stream of people. Many sat waiting with copies of their documents in hand, listening to the electronic queue system repeatedly call out numbers.
Behind the service counters, long lines formed at several windows. Police officers flew across their keyboards, occasionally looking up to verify documents or patiently explain procedures.
After having their photos taken next door, Lin Fan and Long Yue entered the service hall with the photographs.
Watching the crowds bustle back and forth, Long Yue stood rooted to the spot, at a loss.
"There are quite a few people. Let's get a number first."
Lin Fan expertly walked over to the self-service ticket machine and took a number, then led her to an empty seat to wait.
"Demon Supreme, is it really okay to come here with only the photos?"
Seeing the various copied documents in everyone else's hands, Long Yue could not help feeling worried. She quietly leaned close to Lin Fan's ear and asked.
Based on the movies she had watched during this time, a "stowaway" like her would normally have to spend a fortune hiring someone to handle an identity card. She had never seen anyone boldly bring her in to apply through official channels like Lin Fan had.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
Lin Fan remained calm and composed, completely without a trace of panic.
Seeing this, Long Yue felt somewhat reassured. She folded her hands over her knees and sat quietly as she waited.
Since Demon Supreme had said so, there should be nothing to worry about. But what exactly was he planning to do?
Forging her household registration information and identity card should have been quite troublesome...
Soon, amid Long Yue's curious yet nervous wait, the hall's broadcast repeatedly announced, "Number 520, please proceed to Window 2."
"Number 520... It's this Empress's turn."
Long Yue lowered her head to look at the number in her hand, then turned to Lin Fan with slight nervousness.
She was only applying for an identity card, yet she was more nervous now than when facing Immortal Emperor-level demonic beasts on the Immortal-Demon Continent...
Lin Fan gestured for Long Yue to go forward while he followed unhurriedly behind her.
When Long Yue sat before Window 2, the female police officer receiving her asked as usual,
"What business are you here for?"
"I... I'm here to apply for an identity card," Long Yue answered cautiously.
"Alright. Please give me your original identity card and copy, along with a one-inch photograph."
"Uh..."
Long Yue looked troubled and turned to Lin Fan behind her.
She did not have an original identity card or a copy at all...
Lin Fan smiled faintly and slowly stepped forward.
"Sir, it isn't your turn yet. Please wait behind the line."
The policewoman was about to stop him when he raised a hand and interrupted her.
Lin Fan's gaze sharpened. His black eyes instantly turned crimson, and the entire service hall was enveloped by a dark-red barrier. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Everyone stood motionless, and the noisy hall fell utterly silent.
The female police officer at Window 2 became calm and blank the instant she met Lin Fan's red eyes, her gaze utterly lifeless.
"Demon Supreme, you...! How could you use precious spiritual power here?!"
Long Yue's expression changed in shock. She instantly realized that Lin Fan had used his demonic power to cover the entire hall with a barrier and control the policewoman at Window 2.
In this world devoid of even a trace of natural spiritual energy, the spiritual power remaining in their bodies was incomparably precious. Every bit used was one bit less.
Using precious demonic power here was simply far too wasteful!
"It's fine. It's only a tiny bit of spiritual power."
"A tiny bit of spiritual power? Even a tiny bit is precious!"
"You know our current situation. If you use your spiritual power on something like this, what if even you run out? How will we get back then?"
Unlike Lin Fan's indifference, Long Yue was frantic with worry.
Her own spiritual power had basically been exhausted. Most of her hopes of returning rested on Lin Fan. If both of them ran out of spiritual power, she did not even know what hope remained of finding a way back.
"The spiritual power left in my body can't tear open space and send us back anyway. It doesn't matter whether there's more or less left."
"Helping the Empress gain an identity in this world is more important right now. This is necessary spiritual power expenditure."
"Only with an identity can you work and earn money, and pay the rent on time, right? Just consider it this Venerable's investment."
Lin Fan smiled faintly at Long Yue, looking relaxed and carefree, without the slightest regret over using his precious spiritual power.
Even though he did his best to seal the spiritual power within his body and prevent it from leaking away, it still dissipated bit by bit as time passed.
It was like someone with "high-concentration spiritual power" suddenly arriving in a "low-concentration" world. His spiritual power would uncontrollably seep into that lower-concentration world.
Since the remaining spiritual power could not take them back anyway, it would be wasteful to let it completely dissipate instead of using it when needed.
Long Yue stared blankly at Lin Fan standing beside her, her heart filled with complicated emotions.
Demon Supreme had actually been willing to use his precious spiritual power just to help her apply for an identity card...
"Process her identity card. Fill in all required information according to what this Venerable says," Lin Fan ordered the policewoman at Window 2.
"Yes..."
The policewoman responded mechanically, her hands rapidly entering information on the keyboard.
"May I ask your name?"
"Lin Obscura Moon."
"Your place of household registration?"
"Modu..."
"..."
After a series of information entries, Long Yue finally completed her identity card application.
"The processing fee is twenty yuan. The identity card will be delivered within ten working days."
"Very good. Once you wake up, forget everything that just happened. You have never seen us. You merely handled an ordinary identity card replacement application."
After paying the twenty-yuan processing fee, Lin Fan gave the policewoman the suggestion and then withdrew the barrier.
As the barrier vanished, the service hall returned to its noise and bustle.
"Huh, what just happened to me?"
Once the policewoman at Window 2 returned to normal, she looked completely bewildered.
She vaguely felt that something had happened just now, yet she could not remember anything. It seemed like she had helped someone replace an expired identity card...?
"Thank you."
Long Yue thanked the policewoman, then stood and left with Lin Fan.
"You're welcome..."
The policewoman replied politely out of habit, though she was inwardly puzzled.
She remembered that woman had only just sat down. How had she already finished?
Could she handle people's paperwork even while spacing out?
Then it seemed her work skills were getting better and better...!
The policewoman smiled, did not dwell on it further, and continued calling numbers over the broadcast.
After leaving the police station, Long Yue quickly walked up beside Lin Fan, coughed lightly, and thanked him with a faint blush on her face.
"Thank you..."
Lin Fan glanced at her and smiled slightly.
"No need to be polite. This Venerable did it for himself as well."
"It'll be enough if the Empress can pay the rent on time every month from now on."
Long Yue: "..."
"I'll pay it! This Empress will definitely pay you on time! Honestly! Stop emphasizing it all the time!"
Long Yue's face flushed as she shouted in embarrassed indignation.
Damn Demon Supreme, he made it sound like she was the kind of person who would delay paying rent!
She was the Empress of the Extreme Saint Heavenly Palace. How could she possibly do something like that!
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