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That little rascal—why was he making a beeline for my aunt again? Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly. He lowered his hat brim once more, tracking Little Doubi out of the corner of his eye.

The Infant Spirit crawled clumsily but nimbly toward Jiang Yu'er, then threw its arms around her calf and clung to it.

Why did it like my aunt so much? Zhang Yuanqing froze, his expression gradually turning complicated.

Jiang Yu'er remained oblivious, chatting animatedly with Guan Ya.

"Didn't your husband come with you?"

"He's still in college."

"Oh, a college student? My nephew's in college too, but he still hasn't found a girlfriend."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's so embarrassing."

Zhang Yuanqing thought, You graduated and started working two years ago, and you're still single yourself. Who are you looking down on?

Just then, he saw Little Doubi slide off his aunt's leg on its own. It lay on the floor with its head raised, as if trying to make out something. Then it quickly crawled deeper into the hallway and toward one of the consultation rooms.

Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred. Without drawing attention to himself, he set off after it.

Once Little Doubi had crawled into the consultation room, Zhang Yuanqing waited a dozen seconds before strolling over nonchalantly, pretending he was just passing by.

The consultation room door stood half open. A young doctor in a white coat sat behind the desk. His features were gentle, and he had an air of bookish refinement that put people at ease.

At that moment, he sat upright, concentrating intently as if sensing something.

Little Doubi had crawled onto the desk and was playing by itself.

So he was its owner. Zhang Yuanqing sensed that Little Doubi felt a special closeness toward the man. Combined with the young doctor's subtle movements, he judged that the doctor in the room was the Spirit Realm Walker secretly creating Spirit Servants.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't alert him. He turned and left, returning to the waiting hall before calling Guan Ya.

She hung up after two rings. A moment later, the mixed-race beauty strode out on her long legs.

"I asked around. The reports of hauntings started half a month ago, and there can't be many of them. We'll go straight to the outpatient records, then get a list of the obstetrics and gynecology staff."

"I've narrowed down the suspect," Zhang Yuanqing said quietly.

"That fast?" Guan Ya's expression turned serious at once. "Who is it?"

"An obstetrician. The name on his badge is Wang Qian. He's in the fourth consultation room on the right side of the hallway." Zhang Yuanqing asked, "What do we do next?"

Guan Ya pondered for a few seconds. "I'll investigate first and test his strength. Then I'll decide whether to call Squad Leader and request backup."

"How are you going to test his strength?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously.

"Something about the way you put that sounds weird." Old Driver chuckled. A faint white light shone in her eyes as she scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing. "You're in good shape, with vigorous blood and qi. The Lunar Power inside you is fairly substantial—about the level of a mid-stage Level 1. You're feeling curious and wary, with a slight hostility, but it isn't directed at me."

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing's mouth slowly fall open, Guan Ya laughed. "Insight is a Level 1 Scout skill. I can gauge an opponent's general level, but only within the Transcendence Realm."

"If I'm not back in ten seconds, follow me. If I come out within ten seconds, we'll call for backup." She put on her sunglasses, swayed her hips, and headed back toward obstetrics and gynecology.

Zhang Yuanqing watched her enter the consultation room, silently counted to ten, and, when Guan Ya still hadn't come out, lowered his hat brim and sprang into action.

When he returned to the consultation room, Guan Ya was sitting across from the young doctor, discussing tips for trying to conceive.

"You two..."

When he saw Zhang Yuanqing return and shut the door behind him, the young doctor furrowed his brows.

Guan Ya crossed her arms and smiled. "We're with the Five Elements Alliance, the Second Squad of Spirit Realm Walkers in Kangyang District. You're suspected of illegally creating Spirit Servants. Please cooperate with our investigation."

The young doctor's face darkened. He glanced between them and raised his voice. "I don't know what you're talking about. Please don't interfere with my work, or I'll consider calling the police."

As he spoke, he stood and walked toward the door. "Don't block the door. I have patients to see."

As the man approached, Zhang Yuanqing subtly tensed his muscles, ready to enter Night Roaming at any moment.

He wasn't worried. Guan Ya had stayed, which meant she'd used Insight to determine that the man wasn't very strong and that the two of them could handle him.

Zhang Yuanqing was ready for the man to fight back—but just then, he saw the young doctor's face turn sorrowful. In a low, mournful voice, he began to sing:

"Remembering all the twists and turns we've been through, only the two of us understand—no one else can. You said you were tired. Can't you just let me go?"

The sorrowful song stirred an inexplicable sadness in Zhang Yuanqing, along with fatigue, helplessness, and listlessness.

What was the point of clinging on?

Better to let go.

So he silently stepped aside, no longer blocking the door.

Guan Ya sprang up beside the desk, twisted her waist, spun around, and swept out with her leg. Her heels clicked sharply.

Bang!

Her leg whipped into the fleeing young doctor's side with a rush of wind. He grunted and flew backward, crashing hard into the wall. Pale-faced, he clutched his ribs and slumped to the ground.

Zhang Yuanqing abruptly came to his senses, free of the sadness and fatigue.

What was I thinking? Why had I stopped loving a man because I was tired of the relationship? He looked completely bewildered.

"So, you're a Musician." Guan Ya's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You're not only suspected of illegally creating Spirit Servants, but you also resisted arrest and used your supernatural ability against official Spirit Realm Walkers."

She glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and added, "You've inflicted serious emotional trauma on official personnel. You're under arrest."

Clutching his aching ribs, the young doctor said in a pale-faced voice, "You can't arrest me. I'm with Stop-Killing Palace. Stop-Killing Palace and the Five Elements Alliance don't interfere with each other. You can't arrest me just like that."

Guan Ya's brows furrowed slightly, her expression turning grave. Zhang Yuanqing asked quietly, "Stop-Killing Palace?"

"Stop-Killing Palace is a local, non-governmental Spirit Realm Walker organization in Songhai," Guan Ya explained. "Its leader is a high-level Spirit Realm Walker."

"The organization's leader is a high-level Spirit Realm Walker, and they've signed a non-aggression agreement with our branch. The Five Elements Alliance can't just arrest or deal with people from Stop-Killing Palace at will. They're all pretty extreme, constantly chanting slogans like 'End war with war, end killing with killing.' Their leader is a complete lunatic, so as long as they stay in line, our branch's higher-ups are willing to give them some leeway and coexist peacefully."

"You can't insult our leader," the young doctor said, anger in his voice.

"Non-aggression is conditional on you staying in line. Since you've broken the law, no one can save you." Guan Ya's pretty face was as cold as frost, her gaze sharp.

At that moment, she was no longer just a flirtatious Old Driver. She was a stern, unyielding enforcer.

"No, I haven't broken the law. I haven't created any Spirit Servants," Wang Qian said firmly in his defense.

He remained sitting on the floor, making no attempt to stand. He was afraid of provoking the two official Spirit Realm Walkers into treating him roughly.

"Do you need a hint? That child?" Zhang Yuanqing said with a cold laugh.

He considered how to deal with the man. If he was a Spirit Realm Walker who had done nothing but evil, then he would naturally be eliminated without mercy.

If he was only involved in creating a Spirit Servant, then they would handle it by the book, following the Five Elements Alliance's procedures, and he would try to resolve the matter himself.

But he had one question. From his observations while "passing by" earlier, the man seemed able to sense the Infant Spirit, but couldn't actually see it.

At the mention of "child," Wang Qian's expression changed abruptly. He seemed to understand. "So this is what it's about. You've misunderstood. I haven't created a Spirit Servant. I'm just a Musician. I don't have the ability to create Spirit Servants. That child was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yes. He... he was my sister's baby. He didn't survive."

Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya exchanged a glance. The former flew into a rage. "You're even targeting your own nephew?"

Zhang Yuanqing's words seemed to anger Wang Qian. He replied, agitated, "No, I told you, it was an accident."

"Half a month ago, my sister fell at home. Her amniotic fluid broke, and she started bleeding. The fetus was injured in the fall. She was already seven months pregnant, so the hospital performed an emergency C-section, but the baby's condition was poor.

"To save the baby, I asked my organization for an item, hoping to use its power to save my unborn nephew. But he still didn't make it.

"By chance, the item gave him spiritual power, turning him into a special kind of spirit."

Lacking experience and knowledge, Zhang Yuanqing turned to look at Guan Ya.

The mixed-race beauty considered it for a moment, then nodded. "The Musician profession does seem to have some kind of nurturing ability. I read about it in the records, though it isn't a Transcendent Stage skill."

So that ability wasn't part of the Transcendent Stage. That was why this guy had needed to request an item from his organization? Zhang Yuanqing mused silently.

The young doctor said quietly, "You came because you heard the rumors of hauntings, didn't you? Because of that item, he never disappeared. He's been wandering around the hospital day after day.

"He's still little and doesn't understand anything. He doesn't even know he's a spirit. He longs for someone to notice him, and instinctively gravitates toward older women. So people with weak blood and qi occasionally sense him."

"So you just left him alone?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

"What else could I do? The Musician profession gave me strong spiritual perception, so I can sense him. But I can't touch spirits the way a Night Wanderer can, and I can't communicate with him. All I can do is stay by his side until his spiritual power runs out and he disappears completely."

As he spoke, a flash of sorrow passed through Wang Qian's eyes.

Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help sneaking a glance at Little Doubi, who was playing by itself on the desk.

No one could see it, and no one paid it any attention. Had it spent all the days since its birth passing the lonely hours like this?

Mulling over Wang Qian's words, Zhang Yuanqing realized that everything made sense.

That explained the hospital hauntings, and why the Infant Spirit had followed his aunt home—she carried traces of a Night Wanderer's aura. The spirit had no master, and its Musician uncle couldn't control it.

Zhang Yuanqing looked to Guan Ya, asking for her opinion.

Guan Ya gave a slight nod.

A Scout could detect some crude lies. Wang Qian's story had no holes in it; he wasn't lying.

Guan Ya asked, "What's your sister's name?"

"Wang Qian."

"Show me your ID."

After checking his ID, Guan Ya handed it back to Wang Qian. "We'll verify your sister's situation and report it to our organization. They'll contact Stop-Killing Palace to confirm your story. We'll call you again within twenty-four hours. Until then, don't leave Songhai."

Wang Qian relaxed and nodded.

Guan Ya immediately asked for his phone number, then left with Zhang Yuanqing.

Zhang Yuanqing secretly guided Little Doubi along after them. Once they'd left obstetrics and gynecology, he used going to the bathroom as an excuse to put it—no, him—back inside his body.

The second-floor glass building, office area.

Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya went upstairs to the second floor and found Li Dongze wasn't there. Old Driver called out, "Wang Tai, where's Squad Leader?"

Wang Tai didn't even look up as he replied, "Squad Leader left not long after you did. They spotted a Voodoo Master in Fenghui District and are organizing people to catch him. Squad Leader was invited to help."

A Voodoo Master. A member of the Spirit Energy Society? Was this a follow-up to the Judge of Ghostly Eyes incident? Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Guan Ya, let me write the mission report."

With Squad Leader away, he didn't have to report face-to-face. And written reports were much easier to manipulate.

"Look at you, being so thoughtful," Guan Ya said cheerfully. "Wang Tai, pull up the registered personnel information for Stop-Killing Palace for me."

A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing clattered away at the keyboard. Having learned a lot from Guan Ya about the art of report writing, he was well versed in the tricks of downplaying important details and padding the text with endless fluff.

That way, Li Dongze would lose the will to read carefully after a quick glance.

Enslaving spirits was illegal, but Little Doubi had a certain degree of intelligence. He wasn't like those dull spirits that were merely fragments of lingering mental energy.

Killing him would be like taking a life. Zhang Yuanqing decided to keep the Infant Spirit and raise him properly.

All noon and afternoon, Zhang Yuanqing spent his time studying Spirit Realm knowledge, the characteristics of various professions, and introductions to evil and official organizations.

He also spent time chatting incessantly with Guan Ya. Old Driver seemed very happy because Yuanshi wasn't as boring as Wang Tai.

Wang Tai, on the other hand, was very unhappy because they were so noisy.

Near quitting time, Zhang Yuanqing received a call from Li Dongze.

"Squad Leader? The matter at Pingtai Hospital is settled. I've already sent the mission report to your email."

"Are you at the office?" Li Dongze asked, skipping straight over the report.

"Yes. I was just about to leave."

"Stay there. I'll send a driver to pick you up. There's something I need your help with."