"Almost done. I'll stay up tonight to finish it for her." At the mention of Ling Ji, Jie Zhi set aside the previous topic, put down his book, and poured himself a cup of tea. "I don't owe them anything from my past life, so why do they keep bossing me around?"

Ye Jianghuai, despite losing his memories of Sui Xi, still fussed over Ling Ji like an old nanny, caring for her every need and teaching her about the modern world. Jie Zhi remembered being woken up by a midnight call, not with concern for his elderly state but to give him more tasks.

If Ye Jianghuai was so worried about Ling Ji adapting, he should teach her himself. Why trouble him?

Haven't they put him through enough?

"You have a face that demons can't help but want to order around." Hearing the same complaint from his friend as from Ye Jianghuai, Jie Zhi almost suspected they were in cahoots.

"I'll leave you two seniors to chat; I have other matters to attend to." Zhao Jiong, seeing the conversation turn to Ling Ji, tactfully prepared to leave but was stopped by Jie Zhi. "Hey, wait. Tomorrow, come here to deliver something to Ling Ji for me."

Zhao Jiong hesitated, instinctively refusing, "But I don't really know Senior Ling Ji. I'm afraid..." Before he could finish, Jie Zhi cut him off, "Didn't you just meet her today?" He wasn't oblivious to Ling Ji's scent on Zhao Jiong. "Besides, the more you interact, the more familiar you'll get. Your deputy director wants to recruit her into the Special Management Bureau. Getting on her good side will benefit you."

"...Alright." With the argument laid out, Zhao Jiong couldn't refuse without appearing ungrateful. He'd just have to allocate a third of his salary to buy delicacies for the big boss, hoping to earn her favor through food... hopefully.

Feeling the pinch in his wallet, Zhao Jiong left Jingyuan and went to count his savings.

In the Underworld, at the Unusual Affairs Office.

Hei Wuchang (Black Impermanence) and Bai Wuchang (White Impermanence) finally cleared the mountain of paperwork and looked up from their desks. "Old Hei, why do you think the first team suddenly agreed to swap work locations with us? Could it be that the boss finally recognized our hard work and talents?"

"Or maybe our performance in Y Province finally topped the charts, and the boss is rewarding us?" China has nine regions, each with a team of two Impermanences. Their ranks depended on their performance and abilities. Since becoming White Impermanence, Bai Shi Ba (White Eighteen) had remained at the same rank, never advancing.

"Do you think we could still top the charts in Y Province after what Ling Ji pulled off?"

"..." Bai Wuchang was silent for a moment, then argued defiantly, "But didn't she also give us a lot of heads later on?" Those heads belonged to people with blood on their hands and sins on their souls, each worth ten ordinary ones.

Hei Wuchang turned away, moving further from the naive Bai Wuchang, not wanting to speak to him.

"Hey, Old Hei, why aren't you talking? Is it because you have no rebuttal? Let me tell you..."

Hei Wuchang deftly pulled out a pair of earphones from his sleeve and plugged them in. Instantly, the world fell silent. He picked up his phone and updated the data, watching the death list fill with names. For once, a rare smile appeared on his usually expressionless face.

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So many heads.

At this rate, he could soon get promoted and request a new partner, finally parting ways with Bai Shi Ba.

Honestly, he'd endured him long enough.

—Mo Baobao.

Seeing her name at the top of the updated list, Hei Wuchang adjusted his attire, picked up the soul-binding chain, and kicked the still-chatting Bai Wuchang. "Let's go, work to do."

Not long after, in an alley behind the Dark Night Bar, the air twisted, revealing two figures, one in black, the other in white. Dragging chains and wielding a scythe, they phased through walls and arrived at the second-floor fitting room.

"Strange, she died here, but her soul isn't present." Hei Wuchang looked at the dark bloodstain on the floor, certainly it was the primary crime scene.

"Could she have followed the corpse or the killer?" Bai Wuchang suggested, surveying the room and confirming the ghost's absence.

Some vengeful spirits lingered around their killers, unable to move on until justice was served.

Hei Wuchang closed his eyes, releasing his spiritual sense to thoroughly scan the room. When he opened them, his expression was grave. "Bai Wuchang, contact the Special Management Bureau. The spirit has been taken by unknown individuals."

Bai Wuchang: "Huh?"

Hei Wuchang pointed to a fallen clothing rack. "Scan it carefully. There's a faint trace of fear and struggle left by the spirit."

Following his instruction, Bai Wuchang scanned the area, then smiled sheepishly at Hei Wuchang. "Uh, Old Hei..."

"Never mind, make the call." Hei Wuchang didn't need to hear more to know what he wanted to say.

He shouldn't have had any expectations, forgetting his limited abilities.

Ming Qi received the call from the newly appointed Impermanences at dawn. He glanced at Jie Zhi, asleep at his desk, and stepped outside. "I understand. I'll handle it. Thank you."

After hanging up, Ming Qi's usually calm face showed concern. He frowned at the rising sun, muttering, "A storm is brewing."

Human soul capture hadn't occurred in years.

An hour later, when Zhao Jiong arrived to collect the items, Bai Qi briefed him on the situation. Zhao Jiong, having anticipated this, wasn't too surprised. "Don't worry, Elder. Even without the deceased's testimony, it's still manageable." He'd solved cases without knowing about demons and ghosts, relying on skill, experience, and technology.

It would just be more effort.

Seeing his determination, Bai Qi regarded him with newfound respect.

This young man was stronger than expected.

He should be able to handle Ling Ji.

An hour later, Zhao Jiong, carrying bags of breakfast, knocked on Ling Ji's door. Xing Miao opened it, her gaze lingering on the aromatic food in his hands. She raised an eyebrow.

"So fragrant." Ling Ji, attracted by the scent, emerged sleepily, eyes half-closed. Navigating the room with practiced precision, she took the breakfast from Zhao Jiong.

Watching her accurately eat with her eyes closed, Zhao Jiong's initial surprise turned to a sobering thought—wondering if a third of his salary would be enough.

"Ling Ji, this is from Jie Zhi," he said after she finished eating, her mind clearer. Zhao Jiong handed her a jade slip.

"No, take it away." At the mention of Jie Zhi, Ling Ji glanced at it and decisively refused.

"…This is from Ye Jianghuai, through Jie Zhi." Remembering Bai Qi's advice, Zhao Jiong rephrased.

Hearing it was from Ye Jianghuai, Ling Ji hesitated but accepted the jade slip. Seeing her take it, Zhao Jiong continued, "Ye Jianghuai said you must learn its contents. He'll test you when he returns, with rewards for completion."

"When will he be back?" Ling Ji, guessing the contents, thought of Sui Xi's past actions.

"Probably in a month or so," Zhao Jiong estimated, thinking of the situation in Fengchuan County.

"Oh." Ling Ji slumped on the sofa, uninterested. Having eaten his breakfast, she asked, "How's the investigation into that mortal's case? Did she reveal her killer?"

"We couldn't find her spirit; it was likely taken." The purpose was obvious—to prevent them from identifying the killer through her spirit.

Zhao Jiong now strongly suspected the same group behind Mo Baobao's murder and the dragon's cultivation.

"Ring ring." Zhao Jiong's phone rang. Seeing the caller, he quickly answered, "Director Lin, are the results for the demon core analysis ready?"

"Yes, as you suspected." Director Lin's voice came through. "The core contains the same component as the one you sent two days ago."

Zhao Jiong's tense expression relaxed slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. He thanked the director and ended the call.

Having sent the unknown substance from Mo Baobao's body to the lab immediately had proven wise.

Now, if he could find the true killer behind Mo Baobao, he could trace the mysterious organization.

"Was the dancer's killer the same group that pursued us?" Zhao Jiong hadn't hidden his call, so Xing Miao heard everything, quickly grasping the key points.

"Will they target the master?"

Though they had dealt with the pursuers, they hadn't hidden Ling Ji's presence, making it only a matter of time before they tracked her down.

"That would simplify things." Zhao Jiong hoped they'd show themselves, whether in single or group attacks, to provide leads rather than staying in the dark.

"Isn't there surveillance footage? How's the recovery?" Xing Miao, initially indifferent to the case, grew serious when linking it to the previous black-clad assailants.

Though Ling Ji's power was unmatched, recent hidden undercurrents in China couldn't be ignored.

"Not yet..."

"Ring ring." The sudden phone call interrupted Zhao Jiong. Seeing the caller, he told Xing Miao, "I'll take this."

She nodded, sitting on

the sofa and peeling an orange for Ling Ji.

"Hello." Zhao Jiong answered, then smiled, "The surveillance is restored?"

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