“Oh, good morning, Uncle. This is for you.”

“Auntie, you look wonderful today. This is yours.”

“Sister, that’s a beautiful ring. Your boyfriend gave it to you, didn’t he? Hey, I can tell just by looking. When’s the wedding? Remember to invite me; I’ll have Old Tan from my family bring a gift on my behalf.”

Tan Yunlong was dozing off, leaning back in his office chair with his feet propped on his desk, when a familiar voice reached his ears.

Opening his eyes, he saw his son distributing breakfast while casually chatting with colleagues in the office.

Tan Yunlong had always known his son was outgoing and carefree, but the demeanor he displayed at this moment made him, as a father, feel a bit unfamiliar.

He seemed enthusiastic, yet there was an unoffensive detachment about him. His colleagues’ reactions were also interesting; they weren’t as casual as they were with other colleagues’ children, but rather showed a hint of reserve.

The atmosphere was such that an outsider might think a department leader had specially come down to connect with the people.

The most crucial point was that this was the young man’s first time visiting his new workplace today.

“Here, Dad, this is for both of us.”

Tan Yunlong took his feet off the desk.

Tan Wenbin picked up a towel from a nearby shelf, wiped the desk, and then set down the steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk.

“Dad, why didn’t you sleep in the dorm? I went all the way to your dorm early this morning only to find you weren’t there. I almost suspected you were letting loose since Mom isn’t around.”

“If you can’t speak properly, then shut your mouth.”

Tan Yunlong picked up a bun and took a bite.

Lately, he had only returned to the dorm to shower and change clothes, barely getting any proper sleep; he mostly spent his nights in the office this way.

“Dad, has Mom’s work not been settled yet? When is she coming to Jinling? You really can’t manage without her watching over you; look how disheveled you are now.”

“We’ll see. If your mother comes rashly, she won’t know anyone, there won’t be much for her to do, and I don’t have much time to spend with her either.”

“Is it a housing issue? How about I rent a place for you?”

“Do you have a lot of money?”

“Much more than your salary.”

Tan Yunlong glared at him but said nothing more. He knew his son had never touched the money his wife and both sets of grandparents had given him.

“Coming over so early, does Xiao Yuan need something?”

Tan Wenbin cleared his throat, held up a fried dough stick with both hands, and declared solemnly, “By the divine mandate of heaven, the Dragon King decrees…”

Seeing Tan Yunlong still eating his bun,

Tan Wenbin deliberately said, “How dare you! Kneel and receive the imperial decree!”

Tan Yunlong reached for his belt buckle.

“Father, your son has a favor to ask!”

“So, the dorm I’m living in was a girls’ dorm a few years ago. No wonder the urinal in the public restroom on my floor was positioned so strangely; it was built later.”

Tan Wenbin quickly flipped through the files, taking notes in a notebook with a pen. He couldn’t help it; he didn’t have a memory like Yuan Ge’s, who could flip through pages so quickly and remember everything.

Five years ago, this dorm building was still a girls’ dorm. It was later converted into a boys’ dorm by the school. In the five-year period from ten years ago to five years ago, there were two notable cases involving female students living in this dorm building.

One was the disappearance of Tang Qiuying.

The other was the suicide of Qian Meishu.

Tang Qiuying disappeared while still at school. At the time, the school, police, and her family conducted extensive searches, but she has never been found.

Qian Meishu committed suicide in her dorm room by drinking pesticide, leaving a suicide note that mentioned relationship problems.

Tan Wenbin tapped his finger on Tang Qiuying’s photo. If the high-heeled female ghost was indeed one of these two, then it was most likely Tang Qiuying.

Because Xiao Yuan Ge had said that the high-heeled female ghost’s body must be buried near the dorm building, forming some kind of tether that restricts her range of activity.

As for Qian Meishu, who committed suicide, her remains would certainly have been recovered.

Unfortunately, that night when Yuan Ge interrogated the high-heeled female ghost, he wasn’t able to enter the spiritual realm, so he didn’t see the ghost’s true appearance. Otherwise, he could compare it with the photos in the case files now.

Since both were former university students, their identification photos were in the case files.

“Dad, can I take these two back first?”

“Just remember to return them promptly.”

“That’s surprisingly accommodating?”

“I’m doing this to solve the case.” Tan Yunlong paused, then added, “If Xiao Yuan really gets a lead, remember to remind him to notify the police promptly.”

“Understood, of course.” Tan Wenbin leaned his head out and scanned the desk again, asking, “What’s the progress on Qiu Minmin’s case?”

Tan Yunlong handed a bag to Tan Wenbin: “This is the progress I’ve personally made in my recent investigation; it’s not filed yet. Take it back to Xiao Yuan.”

“Oh, Old Tan, you’re really something. Later, I’ll petition the Dragon King to make you a Crab General.”

“Ha, and what would you be?”

“I’d be the Turtle Chancellor, of course.”

Tan Yunlong took a deep breath.

“Hehe.” As Tan Wenbin put the files into his bag, he glanced at another stack of files nearby. He instinctively reached out and flipped through them, coincidentally seeing a photo inside.

The photo showed a large water vat, with a person standing inside it. The person was abnormally tall.

On closer inspection, it was clear they were on stilts, but due to the water obscuring the view, the stilts weren’t very obvious.

The person wore white robes, a tall hat, and had a pale face. In each hand, they held a white lantern.

One lantern read: Underworld.

The other read: Guidance.

Tan Yunlong noticed his son’s actions and said, “That stack of files was just organized by someone else for their use; it has nothing to do with the two cases you’re looking for.”

“Dad, is this person playing White Impermanence?”

“That’s not a person.” Tan Yunlong stood up. He had helped that colleague find these files, so he knew a bit about their contents. “The photo shows a clay figure placed on a water vat.”

“Aren’t clay bodhisattvas said to be unable to save themselves when crossing a river? Why would this clay figure be deliberately placed on a water vat?”

“Why are you still asking me such questions?”

“With all due respect, if I don’t ask you, who else can I ask? There’s no one else in this archive room.” Saying this, Tan Wenbin deliberately looked around twice, quietly calling out, “Hey, is anyone else here?”

The papers in the files in front of him suddenly rustled.

Tan Wenbin’s eyes immediately widened. The archive room door was closed, and the only window was a small, unopenable glass skylight in the corner. Where could the wind have come from?

Ever since he entered this profession, he had become extremely sensitive to phenomena like sudden drafts where there was no wind.

Yuan Ge had said that some evil entities manifest their presence through common everyday occurrences.

Could it be that there really was an evil entity here?

Good heavens, what evil entity would dare reside in a police station?

Tan Wenbin tried hard to convince himself that he was just being overly sensitive.

Tan Yunlong noticed his son’s unusual behavior and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing. I didn’t get enough sleep last night, so I’m a bit distracted from being tired. Dad, what were you just saying?”

Tan Yunlong pointed at the photo again: “Shouldn’t you be more professional than me about things like this?”

“Dad, that’s like assigning you to do forensic technical analysis and autopsy. You’re both police officers, but wouldn’t you not know how to do that?”

“What about Xiao Yuan then?”

“My Xiao Yuan Ge is definitely different.”

“Then why can’t you be like Xiao Yuan…”

“Dad, stop. I think if we continue discussing this, it might harm our strong father-son bond.”

To change the subject, Tan Wenbin looked at the photo again: “Dad, is this clay figure White Impermanence?”

“No, according to the confession of the arrested suspect, this isn’t White Impermanence. They call it ‘Grandma Yu’.”

“It’s a female?”

“Yes. The suspects knew they were doing something against their conscience, so they feared being thrown into the oil cauldron after death. They worshipped this ‘Grandma Yu’ beforehand, hoping that when their time came, she could impersonate a ghost emissary and take them away, thus avoiding punishment.

However, not many people worship this figure, so it hasn’t spread widely. It’s only found among a small number of criminals. We’re currently investigating based on leads from the sculptors who sold and custom-made these figures.”

“What crime did they commit?”

“Child trafficking.”

In the study, it wasn’t the girl but the young man who was standing at the drawing table today, painting.

In painting, Li Zhuiyuan was a disciple of Ah Li.

But just like his chess skills, relying on his sharp mind, he quickly became proficient. However, once he reached a certain level, he became too lazy to continue studying and deepening his skills.

Even the smartest person cannot learn everything, and after reaching a certain level of familiarity and understanding with things, wanting to go further requires more time and effort. In short… it wasn’t worth it.

Anyway, for the young man, learning chess and painting was just to enrich the games he played with the girl, not to compete with her to win or lose.

Ah Li stood by, helping him mix colors and change brushes.

Without needing to be reminded, the entire process was silent, yet flowed with perfect understanding.

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan finished his painting.

The person in the painting wore white robes, a tall hat, stood on stilts, and held a lantern in each hand.

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t paint the characters on the lanterns, because he knew that wasn’t their original appearance; that entity had deliberately written them there to curse and provoke Ah Li.

The original lanterns should have had different characters.

Since he painted so quickly, the painting needed to dry before it could be rolled up and taken away.

The young man didn’t know who the entity in the painting was, and he couldn’t actively ask Grandma Liu either, as that would bring karmic ties upon her.

However, Li Zhuiyuan had a feeling in the back of his mind.

Before, when I didn’t know who you were, it didn’t matter, but once I actually drew your image… the river will deliver you to me.

Last night, he was still wondering if he could turn passive into active, and today, this very thing had conveniently presented itself.

Li Zhuiyuan enjoyed this sense of mystery, and even more, he enjoyed the process of unraveling it.

In his view, “going on the river” could be seen as an exam.

Most test-takers feel nervous and anxious before entering the examination hall, and only begin to tackle the questions based on their prior knowledge once the ink-scented exam papers are handed to them.

Li Zhuiyuan disliked this test-taker mentality. He preferred to understand the examiners, treating each exam as a conversation with them, trying to guess their intentions while also offering his own criticisms.

Must I wait for you to give me a test?

Come, take a look first. Are you satisfied with this question I’ve set for myself?

Li Zhuiyuan stepped back a few paces and sat down by the bed.

Ah Li carefully wrapped the pen the young man had just used in a silk handkerchief.

All her original collection boxes were left in the basement of that house; since it was close by, she could go back and view them anytime, so they weren’t moved.

However, this could also be seen as her “collection being emptied,” which magnified the girl’s enthusiasm and joy for collecting again.

Liu Yumei specially made two new large collection boxes for Ah Li on the third floor, in the room where the initiation and “going on the river” ceremonies had taken place yesterday, and placed them under the altar.

The original intention was to make it convenient for Ah Li to add items to the collection boxes when she went to retrieve the ancestral tablets.

But the verbal explanation was that since Ah Li had a habit of admiring her collection before bed anyway, it was just an opportunity for them to “see Ah Li.”

After putting away the brush, Ah Li looked at the painting on the table.

Clearly, she wanted to collect this more than the brush.

“Ah Li, I need to take this; it’s useful to me,” Li Zhuiyuan said, seeing the girl’s thoughts, explaining beforehand.

Ah Li nodded, but her fingertips still lightly touched the scroll.

“After I’m done with it, I’ll bring this painting back and give it to you,” Li Zhuiyuan said, looking at the drawing table. “Don’t those painters like to stamp the paintings they collect? Ah Li, you can carve one for yourself too.”

The young man had witnessed Ah Li’s craftsmanship; she could easily carve even array patterns, so carving a stamp would be even simpler.

This was also to give the girl something to do.

Previously, when Ah Li carved patterns for her wooden scrolls, Li Zhuiyuan would feel bad about her effort, always thinking it was too tedious and tiring for a young girl.

But ever since he learned yesterday that Ah Li was surrounded by those things at all times, he realized that perhaps for the girl herself, having something she could concentrate on and devote herself to might actually be a form of relaxation and happiness.

Ah Li sat down, spread out a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and began to design a stamp.

The pen tip danced lively and light on the paper, indicating her inner state.

Li Zhuiyuan opened the curtains, letting the sunlight stream in.

In the courtyard outside the window, Runsheng began his boxing practice for the day.

His movements were much faster and smoother than yesterday, suggesting he was gradually adapting.

As if sensing a gaze, Runsheng, while practicing boxing, even smiled in the direction of the young man.

Then, Runsheng slapped the back of his head with his right hand, and his movements, which had just slowed, accelerated again.

Now, Runsheng no longer needed Uncle Qin to kick pebbles to keep him alert; he could motivate himself.

In the corner of the courtyard, Uncle Qin was squatting, holding pebbles in his left hand and a trowel in his right, repairing the cobblestone path he had broken yesterday.

“Breakfast is ready!”

Aunt Liu’s voice was noticeably hoarse.

Li Zhuiyuan rolled up the painting, then he and Ah Li came to the dining table.

Yin Meng was already sitting at the dining table, head bowed, motionless.

“Yin Meng?” Li Zhuiyuan tried calling her name.

Yin Meng looked up: “Xiao Yuan Ge.”

Her eyes were completely black, and when her eyeballs moved, only a faint translucence could be seen.

“Your eyes?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be able to see again after the toxins are expelled around noon.”

“Oh,” Li Zhuiyuan nodded, saying nothing more.

When Liu Yumei came down the stairs and sat at the dining table, she asked, “Where’s Zhuangzhuang?”

“Grandma, Zhuangzhuang has something to do this morning.”

“No matter how busy he is, he still needs to make time to come every day.”

“Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ll remind him.”

Mainly, everyone in the family had tasks to do. If Zhuangzhuang didn’t come, Liu Yumei would seem idle, yet she couldn’t cook.

“Xiao Yuan, the books you wanted will be delivered tomorrow. There are quite a lot, so they’ll all be placed in the original house. You can go get them yourself when you want to read them.”

“Grandma, I’d rather first select a batch that I find useful and then move them to the shop’s basement.”

This way, the karmic connections can be fragmented into smaller pieces.

“Alright, as you wish.” Liu Yumei pushed the soup bowl in front of the young man. “Military training is almost over, isn’t it? It’s time for regular classes to start. You’ll be busy then, so take care of your health.”

This kind of conversation instantly felt like the veiled remarks exchanged back at Great-Grandpa’s house.

“Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ve already prepared my lessons. For any points I don’t understand, I’ll ask the teachers beforehand.”

Liu Yumei smiled kindly.

But she thought to herself: Why didn’t I understand this child’s metaphor?

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan left and returned to his dorm.

When he went to wash his hands at the sink, he ran into Lin Shuyou, who was washing clothes—new theatrical costumes.

Lin Shuyou reacted strongly when he saw Li Zhuiyuan, recoiling slightly.

This wasn’t fake.

In fact, the way he acted and called him “Big Brother” when they showered together at the sink that time was also completely natural.

Binbin had told him that this guy might have dissociative identity disorder.

“Hello,” Li Zhuiyuan greeted him.

“Hello… Li Zhui… Xiao Yuan’s Big Brother.”

Ever since he was beaten into the infirmary that time, Lin Shuyou had mostly been recovering in the dorm, and he hadn’t really run into Li Zhuiyuan again.

He wasn’t in his persona now… no, even when he was in his persona, facing the young man in front of him, it seemed he was still overwhelmed.

“Classmate Lin Shuyou.”

“Here!”

Suddenly called by his full name, Lin Shuyou was so startled that he displayed the full set of military training reflexes.

“I just divined a hexagram, and it indicates that there might be evil entities causing trouble recently. Be extra careful.”

“Yes, I understand.” Lin Shuyou nodded vigorously.

“If you notice anything unusual, please tell me promptly. Although we’ve had our differences, our shared goal of safeguarding the righteous path is consistent.

In short, don’t be shy at all. If you need help, just say so directly.”

“Thank you,” Lin Shuyou nodded vigorously again, his eyes a little red this time.

This kind of turning enemies into friends scenario was most likely to move people, especially for someone like him who had been “at odds,” as it could also compensate for his sense of defeat.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t surprised by Lin Shuyou’s reaction. No wonder Binbin could trick him into calling him “Big Brother”; this guy was really easy to appease when he wasn’t in his persona.

The main reason was that Runsheng and Yin Meng were currently undergoing special training, and Li Zhuiyuan himself had actively added fuel to the fire today.

The young man wasn’t sure when this fire would truly ignite. What if Runsheng and Yin Meng hadn’t finished their special training by then? He wouldn’t have anyone available to help him.

He believed Binbin would stand in front of him without hesitation, but Binbin was a bit fragile.

Lin Shuyou was just right.

Furthermore, this guy was a tool; if he broke or was damaged, Li Zhuiyuan wouldn’t feel bad.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his hands and, as he walked out, Lin Shuyou gathered his courage and said:

“Yuan Ge.”

“Hm?”

“If you have anything, please notify me as well. Exorcising demons and defending the righteous path is our responsibility.”

That’s exactly what he was waiting for.

“You’re overthinking it. I don’t need you.”

After leaving that remark, Li Zhuiyuan walked back to his dorm room.

By the sink, Lin Shuyou felt both ashamed and annoyed, yet also thought the other person was right. His emotions were so complex at that moment that sweat beaded on his forehead.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down at his desk and placed the scroll to one side.

Then, he opened his notebook, picked up his pen, and while recalling the contents of the *Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Sūtra* in his mind, he began searching for and designing methods to awaken potential during a spirit medium session.

For example, enabling Lin Shuyou to forcibly summon officials or generals whom he couldn’t normally summon.

He said he didn’t need him, but in reality, he was already calculating how to use him to his absolute limit.

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t feel there was anything wrong with him. He now had a faint sense of growing a “human skin,” but only for those within his inner circle.

Towards others, he remained indifferent.

Besides, if it weren’t for the numerous ancient texts and secret methods in his mind, he might have been killed by the White Crane Boy summoned by this naive fellow on the sports field that night.

Not only did he not kill him, but Binbin even paid his medical expenses.

On the infirmary bed, he randomly scanned with his vertical pupils; if Binbin hadn’t closed them for him, he would have died at the hands of the corpse demon then.

Counting it all up, he owed Li Zhuiyuan two lives.

So, he would take a small loss; having him repay just one life was enough.

This was very reasonable.

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly stopped writing. Did his recent train of thought resonate somewhat with the “examiner”?

Just then, the dorm room door was pushed open.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, I’m back.”

“That fast?”

“Mainly because my dad has a good service attitude.”

Tan Wenbin handed the files and materials to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan took them, opened the files, saw Tang Qiuying’s ID photo, and immediately tapped on it.

It was her.

Seeing this, Tan Wenbin walked to the windowsill and picked up the high-heeled shoe he watered every day:

“High heel, so your name is Tang Qiuying.

Hello, senior, no, hello, senior auntie.”

Immediately, Tan Wenbin turned back to Li Zhuiyuan and asked, “Xiao Yuan Ge, but she’s missing. What do we do?”

“Knowing her name makes it much easier. Moreover, the files also record her birth date. I can find her body.”

“Xiao Yuan Ge, seriously, it’s a shame you didn’t become a detective.”

“Only a very small number of people can become evil entities after death.”

Li Zhuiyuan opened the separate file bag for the Qiu Minmin case and began flipping through the pages quickly.

Tan Wenbin heard the “swish-swish” sound and couldn’t help but say, “I’m envious.”

Li Zhuiyuan continued flipping pages and said, “Compared to Runsheng and Yin Meng now, I’m quite slack.”

“Because you’re too smart, Xiao Yuan Ge. What they’re putting in now is just the cost of catching up to a genius.”

Tan Wenbin leaned back against the desk. His task for the day was complete, and his heart once again fell into a state of confusion and loss.

If he could, he would also be willing to grit his teeth and nail his own coffin or test poisons on himself.

But the problem was, he knew that the consequence of doing so would be to simply kill himself.

“Sigh…”

The greatest sorrow of being a good-for-nothing is wanting to learn from others and risk your life to fight, only to find you don’t even have the qualifications to fight.

Tan Wenbin, feeling melancholic, casually picked up the scroll from the desk beside him.

Well, a person always has to be useful somehow, like praising my Yuan Ge’s new work.

But as soon as the scroll unfurled, Tan Wenbin froze.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, did you draw Grandma Yu?”

Li Zhuiyuan immediately put down the file in his hand, turned to Tan Wenbin, and asked very seriously:

“Binbin Ge, you know her?”

“What a coincidence! I just saw this photo in the archive room this morning. It’s practically identical to your painting, Xiao Yuan Ge. The only difference is that her two lanterns have characters on them, and yours doesn’t.”

Li Zhuiyuan immediately put down the file, leaned back in his chair, tilted his head back, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, you… what’s wrong?”

In Tan Wenbin’s impression, Yuan Ge rarely made sudden emotional gestures.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the dorm room ceiling and murmured:

“Indeed, this is how we can play.

Come on,

From now on, I’ll

call out names one by one!”

First place is about to be surpassed. Dear friends who still have votes, please cast them to help us secure at least first place today. Thank you everyone.