The Interview

Little Doubi's ability was to steal one of a target's functions? Last time, it had taken his aunt's sense of smell and taste. This time, had it taken his uncle's ability to speak?

Zhang Yuanqing, who had pretended to cough, was delighted. If it could steal an ability from an ordinary person, could it also steal one from a Spirit Realm Walker?

If so, this little Spirit Servant was incredibly valuable.

At that moment, his uncle came to his senses. Remembering his behavior just now, the old nightclub regular flushed crimson, looking both bewildered and embarrassed.

Ha, so Uncle gets embarrassed too. Zhang Yuanqing gleefully snarked to himself. He noticed the Infant Spirit perched on his uncle's shoulders seemed exhausted and was nodding off.

"Th-this... I was just messing around with you. I suddenly remembered what Yuanzi was like as a kid and couldn't help imitating him."

His uncle was every bit the seasoned old rogue he'd been for decades. With skin as thick as a city wall, he quickly shifted the blame onto his nephew.

Zhang Yuanqing hadn't seen that coming.

"You're a grown man. Have some shame!" Grandmother scolded angrily.

"Mom, I'm still a kid," his uncle said with a grin. "I'll always be your child."

"Get out, get out, get out!" Grandmother said, looking disgusted.

After dinner, his uncle's family returned to the apartment across the hall. Zhang Yuanqing went to wash up early and, after reminding his aunt not to disturb him that night, went into his bedroom.

He had to get up early tomorrow to see Li Dongze at work and report on the Infant Spirit, so he needed to turn in early.

Before that, though, he wanted to try and tame the little thing.

Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on his bed. Little Doubi curled up asleep in his arms, sucking on one of his thumbs. Lunar Power flowed in a thin, unbroken stream into the Infant Spirit, nourishing it.

According to the post, once someone successfully refined a Spirit Servant, all they had to do afterward was keep it fed with Lunar Power, and it could remain in the world indefinitely.

Zhang Yuanqing had basically stumbled upon a ready-made treasure.

"This little thing still doesn't seem very bright. I wonder if it'll get smarter as it grows up."

Zhang Yuanqing calmed himself and summoned his Lunar Power. Thick, viscous black light welled up in his eyes, gradually replacing his irises and whites until it filled his eye sockets.

"Whoosh."

Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a faintly black mist that enveloped the Infant Spirit. Then he opened his mouth and sucked it into his stomach.

At once, he felt another consciousness inside him—a faint, dormant consciousness.

Following the method in the post, he channeled Lunar Power and washed over that consciousness again and again, stamping it with his mark and making it accept his power until it became his Spirit Servant.

The process lasted for more than ten seconds. Then, suddenly, his mind sank into a dark, empty space.

It was warm and comfortable, like sleeping in his mother's arms.

His consciousness had entered the Infant Spirit's "body," merging with it briefly.

"So the post was telling the truth. A master can control a Spirit Servant's consciousness and abilities, and briefly take command of its 'body.'"

Once Zhang Yuanqing had gotten used to this "body," an entirely new innate talent naturally surfaced in his mind.

It felt like something he'd been born knowing.

The talent was called "Exchange." It let him trade something of his own for something belonging to a target.

For example, he could exchange his sense of taste for the target's, or his ability to speak for theirs. The exchange lasted three seconds.

So his aunt had lost her sense of taste, and his uncle had started babbling like a baby.

But the exchange didn't have to be equal. He could also trade some useless ability of his own for someone else's valuable one. The Infant Spirit was simply too young and had limited intelligence, so it couldn't make such precise exchanges. It could only make equal trades, and its ability activated randomly.

To use the skill, it had to touch its target.

If Zhang Yuanqing operated it himself, he could trade a useless ability for a miraculous one with precise control.

Also, the Infant Spirit could currently exchange only physical abilities. It couldn't exchange skills—not at this stage, anyway.

Finally, as its master, Zhang Yuanqing could transfer any damage, control effects, or other negative statuses he suffered to his Spirit Servant, making it take some of the hit for him.

"I finally understand why the Night Wanderer is one of the top professions. It really is absurdly powerful," Zhang Yuanqing thought.

He returned his consciousness to his own body.

"Eee."

The Infant Spirit shuffled its short legs over to him and rubbed its sparsely haired head against Zhang Yuanqing's hand, wanting to suck his thumb.

This thing could eat.

"No. This is where you get your food." Zhang Yuanqing pointed at his chest.

The Infant Spirit tilted its head and stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. It seemed to finally understand what he meant and obediently crawled toward his chest.

"Get back in there."

Zhang Yuanqing swallowed it into his stomach and tucked it away inside himself.

The next morning, Zhang Yuanqing got up and went to wash up.

He'd just picked up his toothbrush when he paused, opened his mouth, and breathed out a wisp of Yin energy. The Infant Spirit's tiny body appeared on the sink.

Nourished by Lunar Power, it looked lively enough, its round, dark eyes gazing at Zhang Yuanqing with guileless innocence.

"I'm going to teach you a little about daily life. This is a toothbrush. Your master's going to brush his teeth now. Come on, repeat after me: toothbrush, brush teeth, use a toothbrush to brush your teeth."

Since the little thing wasn't a mindless spirit, it would surely grow eventually. While it was growing, he'd need to teach it proper values.

It should become an upright ghost: obey the law and stay away from gambling and drugs.

The Infant Spirit tilted its head and stared at him blankly.

"Toothbrush, brush teeth, use a toothbrush to brush your teeth. Come on, say it after me."

"???"

Zhang Yuanqing kept at it for a while, then suddenly lost heart and gave up on teaching for the time being. He couldn't tell whether he or Little Doubi was the real idiot.

After he finished washing up, his phone rang. It was Li Dongze.

"Hello, Squad Leader?"

"Yuanshi, come by this morning. I need you to help with something."

"What is it?"

"A Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect wants to ask you some questions. I'll explain when you get here."

Why does a Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect want to see me? Did they take a fancy to my peerless talent and want to recruit me? If so, they should be contacting me privately.

"All right, Squad Leader." Zhang Yuanqing hung up.

He was going to work anyway to report the Infant Spirit incident.

After breakfast, he slung on his backpack and pretended to head to school. Once he'd left the residential compound, he hailed a cab and went straight to the Public Security Bureau, entering the two-story glass building.

As he reached the door to Li Dongze's office, he heard hearty laughter from inside:

"Oh, my God, that's the best joke I've ever heard."

"Here's another funny story. You know Captain Zhao? Yeah, the guy who always walks into the women's restroom by mistake? When he first became a Night Wanderer, he devoured seven female spirits in one go. After that, he developed a habit of squatting to pee, and he couldn't break it for years."

"Hahaha! My God, that's the best joke I've ever heard. The last one doesn't count."

"Not bad, right? I know a lot of Night Wanderer secrets. I'll tell you more about them later, but you have to promise not to spread them. We're not gossips, after all. Right?"

Knock, knock! Zhang Yuanqing rapped on the glass door.

The conversation inside stopped at once. Li Dongze's steady voice came through. "Come in."

Zhang Yuanqing pushed open the door and saw Li Dongze drinking with a man dressed in a black suit and black shirt on the guest sofa.

The man in black had fairly handsome features and slightly pale, gaunt skin. He carried an understated air of nobility.

"Our outstanding newcomer is here." Li Dongze smiled and gestured. "There's cola in the fridge. Help yourself."

After Zhang Yuanqing opened the bottle and took a swig, Li Dongze introduced the man.

"This is Yuan Ting, the Taiyi Sect's captain stationed in Kangyang District. He's a Level 3 Night Wanderer and one of the best of the best in our official organization."

As one of the top combat professions, a Level 3 Night Wanderer was among the strongest in the Transcendence Realm.

"Truly a fine-looking young man. Elder Sun really has no sense."

Yuan Ting sighed and shook Zhang Yuanqing's hand.

Zhang Yuanqing, however, broke into an eager smile.

"The moment I saw you, Captain Yuan, I felt like I was seeing family. I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. Could this be the sense of belonging Night Wanderers feel among their own?"

With an outsider present, Zhang Yuanqing temporarily kept quiet about the Infant Spirit.

Yuan Ting was taken aback. "I don't think Night Wanderers feel that way about one another."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. "So it's you, Captain Yuan, who makes me feel so at ease. That must be your personal charm."

At that, Yuan Ting couldn't stop himself from smiling. This kid sure knew how to flatter people.

Then he remembered that the young man worked for Li Dongze, and couldn't help sighing. "Elder Sun really has no sense."

Seeing the two of them exchanging glances, Li Dongze cleared his throat and said seriously:

"Captain Yuan is here on official business today."

He turned to Yuan Ting and asked, "Would you rather talk in my office or use the conference room across the hall?"

"Let's go to the conference room," Yuan Ting replied.

As he spoke, he picked up the briefcase from the glass coffee table, nodded to Zhang Yuanqing, and smiled.

"Let's talk in private."

He wants to speak with me alone? Judging from Squad Leader's attitude, it doesn't seem like he's trying to recruit me. What is this about?

"Sure!" Zhang Yuanqing said. "But I'd like to use the restroom first."

Yuan Ting nodded and left the office.

Zhang Yuanqing turned toward the work area. He glanced around, deliberately ignoring Wang Tai, who was bent over what looked like an academic paper, and walked over to Guan Ya's desk. In a joking tone, he said:

"I didn't get a honey trap. I got a Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect instead."

Guan Ya held her cup and smiled. "That means it wasn't a honey trap. Hmm, Scorpio's horoscope looks good today, but be extra careful when talking to your coworkers or superiors. Otherwise, things could turn around completely."

She wore a white blouse and a short skirt. Her wavy hair had just been styled, framing her delicate, glamorous face. Light makeup and her mixed heritage only added to her charm.

Zhang Yuanqing teased, "Like when you try to seduce me and I firmly turn you down, causing our little boat of friendship to capsize?"

"No, you won't turn me down, because you're a Scorpio," Guan Ya said matter-of-factly.

That's enough. If you keep picking on Scorpios, I'm going to smack you with a stick!

Still, he'd gotten the hint he was looking for. He turned at once, hurried over to the conference-room door, and gently knocked on the glass.

"Come in!"

Yuan Ting's reply came from inside.