Him

Why was this little rascal heading for Auntie again? Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly. Lowering the brim of his cap once more, he tracked Little Doubi out of the corner of his eye. Moving with a crawl that was both clumsy and surprisingly nimble, the infant spirit quickly neared Jiang Yu'er, wrapped its little arms around her calf, and hung there. *What is this? Why does he like my aunt so much?* Stunned, Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew conflicted. Totally oblivious, Jiang Yu'er chatted animatedly with Guan Ya. "Didn't your husband come with you?" "He's still in college." "Oh, a college student? My nephew is a college student too, but he doesn't even have a girlfriend yet." "Really?" "Yes, absolutely shameful!" *You graduated and started working two years ago, and you're still single yourself,* Zhang Yuanqing thought. *Who are you looking down on?* Right then, he saw Little Doubi slide off his aunt's leg of his own accord. Prone on the floor, the baby tilted his head as though discerning something, then swiftly crawled toward the far end of the corridor, heading straight into one of the outpatient consultation rooms. Zhang Yuanqing's interest piqued. Without making a scene, he set off, quietly tailing him. After Little Doubi crawled inside the consultation room, Zhang Yuanqing waited a dozen seconds before strolling over, pretending to just pass by. The door stood ajar. Behind the desk sat a young doctor in a white coat. He had soft facial contours and a comfortable, scholarly air. At that moment, the doctor sat with a straight back, focusing intently as if sensing something. Little Doubi had climbed onto the desk, happily amusing himself. *It's him!* As the infant spirit's master, Zhang Yuanqing sensed that Little Doubi felt a unique closeness to this man. Combined with the young doctor's subtle body language, he preliminarily concluded that the doctor was the Spirit Realm walker secretly refining spirit servants. Zhang Yuanqing did not alert him. Turning away, he returned to the waiting lobby and dialed Guan Ya's number. The phone rang twice before Guan Ya declined it. A moment later, the mixed-race mature beauty strode out on her long legs. "I found out that the haunting rumors began half a month ago, and the occurrences haven't been too frequent. We can pull the outpatient records directly, and then request a staff roster from the obstetrics department..." Zhang Yuanqing kept his voice low. "I've locked onto the target." "So fast?" Guan Ya's expression instantly turned solemn. "Who is it?" "An obstetrician. His name tag reads Wang Qian. 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 go check him out first to test his depth before deciding whether to call the Decurion for backup." Curious, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "How are you going to test his depth?" "Why does that sound so wrong coming from you..." The veteran driver gave a soft laugh. Then a faint white light gleamed in her eyes as she scrutinized him. "Your physical constitution is quite good, your vitality is vigorous, and the Lunar force in your body is reasonably dense—roughly equivalent to the mid-tier of Level 1. Your current emotions are curiosity, vigilance, and faint hostility, though not directed at me..." Seeing Zhang Yuanqing's jaw drop slightly, Guan Ya smiled. "Insight—a Level 1 Scout skill. I can gauge an opponent's approximate level, though only within the Transcendent stage. "If I don't come out within ten seconds, follow me in. If I do come out within ten seconds, we call for backup." Putting on her sunglasses and swaying her hips, she headed back toward the obstetrics department. Zhang Yuanqing watched her enter the consultation room and counted to ten in his head. Seeing she hadn't emerged, he promptly tugged down his cap and moved into action. When he returned to the consultation room, Guan Ya was sitting across from the young doctor, chatting with him about preconception care. "You..." Seeing Zhang Yuanqing return and close the door behind him, the young doctor's brow furrowed. Crossing her arms, Guan Ya smiled. "We're from the Five Elements Alliance, Kangyang District Spirit Realm Walker Second Squad. You are suspected of illegally refining a spirit servant. Please cooperate with our investigation." The young doctor's face darkened. His gaze swept over the two of them, and he raised his voice: "I don't know what you're talking about. Please don't interfere with my work, or I will consider calling the police." As he spoke, he stood up and walked toward the door, calling out, "Don't block the door. I have patients waiting." Seeing him approach, Zhang Yuanqing silently tensed his muscles, prepared to enter the Night Walk state at any moment. He felt no panic. Since Guan Ya had stayed, it meant her Insight had shown the opponent wasn't strong, and the two of them could handle him alone. Zhang Yuanqing braced himself for resistance—yet right then, the young doctor wore a sorrowful expression and began singing in a low, melancholic voice: *"Looking back on the winding paths we walked / Only the two of us know, no one else can understand / You said you were tired, won't you let me go..."* Listening to the sorrowful melody, Zhang Yuanqing felt an unspeakable sadness, exhaustion, helplessness, and weariness well up inside him. What was the point of clinging on so bitterly? Better to just let go. Silently, he stepped aside, no longer blocking the doorway. Beside the desk, Guan Ya sprang up. Twisting her waist, she spun and whipped her leg around, her high heels clicking sharply. *Thud!* Just as the young doctor moved to flee, a whistling roundhouse kick struck his flank. Groaning, he flew through the air and crashed heavily against the wall, sliding to the floor as he clutched his ribs with a pale face. Zhang Yuanqing snapped to his senses, breaking free of the sorrow and exhaustion. *What was I thinking? Why did I feel too exhausted to love over a man?* He looked utterly bewildered. "A Musician, I see." Guan Ya smiled without warmth. "Not only are you suspected of illegally refining a spirit servant, but you also resisted arrest and used supernatural abilities against official Spirit Realm walkers..." She glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and added, "...causing severe psychological trauma to an official operative. You are now officially under arrest." Clutching his throbbing ribs, the young doctor turned pale. "You can't arrest me! I'm from the Palace of Halting Slaughter! The Palace of Halting Slaughter and the Five Elements Alliance mind their own business! You have no right to arrest me as you please!" Guan Ya's delicate brows knitted slightly, a serious look crossing her face. Zhang Yuanqing whispered, "The Palace of Halting Slaughter?" "It's a local Songhai Spirit Realm walker organization—unofficial. Their Palace Master is a high-level Spirit Realm walker," Guan Ya explained. "She signed a non-aggression pact with our branch, so the Five Elements Alliance can't arbitrarily arrest or punish members of the Palace of Halting Slaughter. The people in that organization are all extreme. They run around chanting slogans like 'end war with war, halt slaughter with slaughter,' and their Palace Master is a total lunatic. As long as they keep their heads down, the higher-ups of our branch are willing to yield a step to maintain harmony." "You cannot insult our Palace Master!" the young doctor retorted with suppressed fury. "The premise of non-aggression is that you abide by the rules. Since you broke the law, no one can save you." Guan Ya's pretty face turned frosty, her gaze sharp. In that moment, she was no longer the dirty-joke-cracking veteran driver, but a stern, cold enforcer of the law. "No, I didn't break the law! I didn't refine any spirit servant!" Wang Qian defended himself in a deep voice. Slumped on the floor, he made no attempt to stand, fearing harsh treatment from the two official Spirit Realm walkers. "Need me to give you a hint? That child..." Zhang Yuanqing sneered. He weighed how to handle the man. If the doctor were a wicked Spirit Realm walker guilty of every evil, then naturally he should be eliminated root and branch. If it only involved refining a spirit servant, they could handle it strictly by the book according to the Five Elements Alliance's regulations, while Zhang Yuanqing would try his best to keep the matter resolved within his own grasp. Yet he still harbored a doubt. From his observation earlier when "passing by," the man seemed able to sense the infant spirit, but couldn't actually see him. At the word "child," Wang Qian's expression changed dramatically, followed by sudden realization. "So that's what this is about... You've misunderstood! I didn't refine a spirit servant! I'm only a Musician—I don't have the ability to refine spirit servants! That child was an accident!" "An accident?" "Yes! He... he's my sister's stillborn baby." Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya exchanged a glance, and the former flew into a rage. "You wouldn't even spare your own nephew?!" Zhang Yuanqing's accusation seemed to provoke Wang Qian, who retorted agitatedly, "No, I told you, it was an accident! "A little over two weeks ago, my sister fell at home. Her water broke, she started bleeding, and the fetus suffered trauma. She was already seven months pregnant. The hospital performed an emergency C-section, but the baby's condition was critical... "To save the child, I requisitioned an item from my organization, hoping to use its power to preserve my unborn nephew's life. But in the end, he still didn't make it. "By a twist of fate, that item imbued him with spiritual power, turning him into a unique spirit." Lacking experience and broad knowledge, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Guan Ya. The mixed-race beauty pondered for a moment and gave a nod. "The Musician class does seem to possess nurturing and preserving abilities. I remember reading about it in the archives, though it isn't a Transcendent-stage skill." *Not a Transcendent-stage skill, which is why he had to apply for an item from his organization?* Zhang Yuanqing mused silently. The young doctor said softly, "You came here because of the haunting rumors, right? Because of that item, he never dissipated, lingering in the hospital day after day. "He's so little. He doesn't understand anything, doesn't even know he's a spirit body. He just yearns for someone to notice him and instinctively draws close to older women. That's why people with depleted vitality occasionally sense his presence." Zhang Yuanqing countered, "So you just left him to his own devices?" "What else could I do? The Musician class grants me high spiritual perception, so I can sense him. But I can't touch spirit bodies like a Night Wanderer, nor can I communicate with him. All I could do was keep him company until his spiritual body ran out of energy and completely dissipated." As he said this, sorrow flickered in Wang Qian's eyes. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help stealing a glance at Little Doubi, who was still amusing himself on the desk. No one could see him, and no one paid him any attention. Had he spent his days idling through the loneliness like this? Mulling over Wang Qian's words, Zhang Yuanqing realized everything made sense. That was why the hospital was haunted, and why the infant spirit had followed his aunt home after she picked up the scent of a Night Wanderer. The spirit had been masterless all along, as a Musician uncle lacked the power to control spirit bodies. Zhang Yuanqing looked at Guan Ya, seeking her opinion. Guan Ya gave a subtle nod. A Scout could see through clumsy lies. Wang Qian's account had no flaws; he wasn't lying. Guan Ya asked, "What's your sister's name?" "Wang Qian." "Show me your ID." After examining his ID card, Guan Ya handed it back to Wang Qian. "We'll verify your sister's situation and report it to our superiors so they can contact the Palace of Halting Slaughter to confirm your story. We'll call you within twenty-four hours. Until then, do not leave Songhai." Wang Qian breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slightly. Guan Ya promptly took down his phone number and led Zhang Yuanqing out. Zhang Yuanqing secretly directed Little Doubi to follow them. Once outside the obstetrics department, he used the excuse of using the restroom to recall the infant—no, recall *him*—back into his body. *** Two-story glass building, office area. When Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya reached the second floor, they found Li Dongze absent. The veteran driver called out, "Wang Tai, where's the Decurion?" Without looking up, Wang Tai replied, "Not long after you left, the Decurion went out. They spotted traces of a Witch Doctor over in Fenghui District and are assembling personnel to make an arrest. The Decurion was invited to help." *A Witch Doctor... a member of the Spirit Society? Is this a follow-up to the Deceitful Eye Judge incident?* Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved and said cheerfully, "Sister Guan Ya, let me write the mission report." Since the Decurion wasn't around, there was no need to report in person, and a written report offered plenty of room to maneuver. "Quite thoughtful of you." Guan Ya was pleased as well. "Wang Tai, pull up the registered personnel files for the Palace of Halting Slaughter for me." A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing was clacking away at the keyboard. Having absorbed the finer points of report-writing from Guan Ya, he was well versed in the art of downplaying the essential while padding the text with endless filler. He was certain Li Dongze would lose the patience to read closely after a single glance. Enslaving a spirit body was illegal, but Little Doubi possessed genuine intelligence; he was not a dull spirit body formed merely of residual mental fragments. Destroying him would be tantamount to snuffing out a life. Zhang Yuanqing resolved to keep the infant spirit and raise him properly. Zhang Yuanqing spent the entire midday and afternoon learning about the Spirit Realm, the traits of each major class, and overviews of both evil and official organizations. Throughout that time, he kept Guan Ya company in non-stop chatter. The veteran driver was thoroughly amused, as Yuanshi was far less boring than Wang Tai. Wang Tai, on the other hand, was deeply annoyed because they were far too loud. As the end of the workday approached, Zhang Yuanqing received a call from Li Dongze. "Decurion? The matter at Pingtai Hospital is resolved. I've already emailed the mission report to your inbox." "Are you at the office?" Li Dongze bypassed the mission report entirely. "Yes, just getting ready to head out." "Stay there. I'll send a driver over to pick you up. There's something I need your help with."