"Ancestor," Hu Li shared the same feeling, not daring to casually speak of her identity, "By the way, how is your new song coming along?" The Lu Shu clan had unique talents; besides aiding fertility, their singing was exceptional. When singing with full emotion, entering a state of selflessness, they could resonate with the heavens and earth.

However, such singing took a toll, so Lu Shu usually reserved it for significant events.

Even so, when he sang seriously, his voice was like a heavenly symphony, unmatched by ordinary people.

Ying Ning had recognized this and had spared no effort to sign him, nurturing him into a young king of the music industry.

This time, she planned to leverage Jiang Lingyan's blunder from the rival company Huatiang to boost his new album, further elevating his status.

If not for...

"Sister Hu, this incident isn't your fault." Sensing her slight disappointment, Lu Shu quickly reassured her, "Besides, I believe that elevating one's status should rely on one's own abilities, not other means."

"Alright, you don't need to comfort me. I know my limits." Hu Li, not one to take undue responsibility, felt more at ease after his words.

"Don't go out unnecessarily these days, and if you must, have someone accompany you." Thinking of the missing raccoon and its connection to Mo Baobao, and recalling the items found at Mo Baobao's place, Hu Li's gaze toward Lu Shu was filled with concern. "Forget it, just inform me if you need to go out. I have nothing else to do, so I might as well accompany you."

"Sister Hu..."

"This is settled." Hu Li interrupted him, showing a look of disdain, "Besides, this isn't entirely for you. There's an unknown force targeting our demon clan. We need to root them out to ensure safety." Otherwise, she might become their target one day.

However, how did Mo Baobao know their identities?

They had concealed themselves so well.

Hu Li's foxy eyes showed deep contemplation.

...

In the evening, at the Special Management Bureau.

Zhao Jiong waited until it was completely dark and the moon was out before knocking on the door of the Dark Garden.

With a creak, the heavy wooden door opened by itself, revealing the darkness inside. Zhao Jiong, fully prepared, pulled out a flashlight from his pocket, turned it on, and stepped inside.

"Elder Wanqiu?" He walked a distance in the darkness, shining his flashlight around, seeing only gloomy, eerie walls, with no sign of a ghost.

"What do you want?" A ghostly figure suddenly appeared behind him, cold breath on his neck. Zhao Jiong shivered, gripping his flashlight tightly, took two quick steps forward, then turned around, shining the light two meters ahead.

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"Elder Wanqiu." Even though he had met her several times, Zhao Jiong couldn't help but feel uneasy looking at the pale, cold woman illuminated by the flashlight.

"I need your help."

"Speak."

"Can you summon this woman's spirit?" Zhao Jiong pulled out a photo from his pocket and handed it over. "Her name is Mo Baobao, born at 7 AM on July 7, 1990."

A slight breeze carried the photo to the woman, landing in her almost transparent white hands. "Come back in half an hour."

"Thank you, Elder Wanqiu." Zhao Jiong didn't mind her cold attitude, quickly leaving the Dark Garden.

Frankly, her agreeing so readily was already beyond his expectations.

Elder Wanqiu was famously aloof at the Special Management Bureau, rarely leaving her residence and hardly speaking. It was difficult to even catch a glimpse of her outside.

"Isn't it normal for an old ghost to be aloof and silent?" Yi Yang, not understanding his deputy's excitement, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from a nearby dish, munching away, "Do you want to see her outside every day?"

Recalling Elder Wanqiu's ghostly visage, Zhao Jiong shook his head honestly, "I think it's better for her to remain mysterious."

Yi Yang rolled his eyes, not surprised by his response.

It wasn't that they looked down on ghosts, but her aura was so overwhelming that everyone who saw her ended up having nightmares for days, her terror beyond words.

If it weren't for the urgency of solving the case, Zhao Jiong wouldn't have braved it to ask for her help.

Half an hour passed quickly. Zhao Jiong got up from his chair, grabbing the last handful of seeds from the dish before leaving, "Captain, I'm going."

Yi Yang noted the empty dish, mentally marking it down in his little black book.

"Elder Wanqiu, I'm coming in." Zhao Jiong knocked on the Dark Garden door before entering. The moon was now high, its clear light dispelling the darkness and illuminating the surroundings.

It also illuminated the figure standing in the dew.

Black hair, red dress, pale skin, red lips.

Her delicate features were even more striking against the stark contrast, her coldness particularly prominent.

"I can't summon her spirit." Under the night sky, Wanqiu's face was almost transparent, her eyes calm yet puzzled.

"Strangely, I can't sense her spirit's presence."

She repeated coldly.

"You mean her spirit isn't here?" Zhao Jiong, experienced as he was, quickly thought of several possibilities, "Was her spirit taken by the underworld officials?"

"Perhaps." Wanqiu glanced at him, adding another possibility, "Or perhaps her spirit was taken by someone else."

In this world, it wasn't just the underworld officials who collected souls. There were also evil practitioners who refined souls, and villains who destroyed them.

But which one it was, he had to find out himself.

Zhao Jiong's expression deepened, his worst fear leaning toward the last possibility.

Leaving the Dark Garden, he returned to the first team's break room, finding Yi Yang munching on sunflower seeds again, "Captain, does anyone in the Special Management Bureau have contact with the underworld officials?"

"Cough cough." Yi Yang choked on the seeds, coughing for a while before spitting them out, "Why are you asking about this?" Not knowing that the underworld and the living world were separate and independent?

"It's necessary for the case." Zhao Jiong knew his question was out of bounds but couldn't let it go after their experiences since returning from Huangshui County.

He looked at Yi Yang earnestly, "Captain, this is important."

He had a hunch that solving Mo Baobao's case would uncover part of the organization behind the dragon, the giant snake, and the assassins.

Seeing the determination and seriousness in his eyes, Yi Yang took a sip from his thermos, thinking for a while, "You need to talk to Elder Bai Qi."

Many people and demons in the Special Management Bureau could communicate with the underworld, but only Bai Qi was effective. Strictly speaking, Jie Zhi could too, but he had a falling out with the underworld and was on their blacklist.

"Thank you, Captain. I'll go find Elder Bai Qi." Zhao Jiong's eyes lit up, thanking him before heading to Bai Qi's Jingyuan.

Five minutes later, he knocked on Jingyuan's door.

"Xiao Zhao, what brings you here at this hour?" Bai Qi, intending to finish his book before resting, was surprised by Zhao Jiong's visit. He put down the book and poured him a cup of tea.

"I'm not in trouble." Zhao Jiong accepted the tea but didn't drink it, holding it to warm his cold hands, "I need your help."

"Hmm?"

Zhao Jiong took a deep breath, "I need you to help me contact the underworld officials in this area. I have some questions for a deceased person."

"Contacting them is no problem. But are you sure the ghost you're looking for was taken by the underworld officials?" Bai Qi noticed the lingering chill in his expression, knowing he had visited Wanqiu. If he went to her first, it meant the spirit was likely still wandering, not taken by the underworld.

A ghost that should have been wandering yet wasn't summoned by Wanqiu meant something was wrong.

"Not sure, but they can help confirm my suspicion." Eliminating other possibilities, the last, no matter how unbelievable, had to be considered.

Seeing his confidence, Bai Qi nodded, pulling out his phone and making a call.

Ten minutes later, he hung up, "Xiao Zhao, you might have to wait. The underworld officials for this area are changing shifts, currently handing over work."

Zhao Jiong's heart sank, feeling the last possibility grow more likely.

"What shift changed?" Jie Zhi, entering with a stack of books, raised an eyebrow seeing Zhao Jiong, "Having trouble?"

"Yes." Zhao Jiong briefly explained, Jie Zhi's eyebrows rising higher, "Haven't seen them change shifts in centuries. Why now? Nothing special happened recently."

Bai Qi's gaze lingered on the books Jie Zhi carried, then flickered as if remembering something, "The underworld has its reasons. Let's focus on our work."

Nothing major had happened, but a powerful demon had recently arrived in Pengcheng, one even less favored by the underworld than him.

"By the way, did you finish organizing the study materials for Ling Ji?"

---