On a clear Monday morning. In a place like Songhai, commuting during rush hour is always a headache—whether on elevated roads or ground-level streets, the traffic is so congested it raises one's blood pressure. Ordinary office workers who take the subway may not face traffic delays, but they still have to endure the pressure of being surrounded by multiple competing modes of transportation. With the morning sun shining, Zhang Yuanqing, carrying his backpack and riding a shared bicycle, glides through the bustling streets of Songhai, a bagel and pancake in his mouth. He effortlessly passes one after another private cars, business vehicles, and buses, his youthful energy flowing with the movement of his hair. Songhai University is about five to six kilometers from his grandmother's home, and a bike ride takes only fifteen minutes—so he usually doesn't live on campus. Thanks to his newfound ability to ride at night like a nocturnal traveler, the usually tiring bike rides he makes during the day now become a smooth, continuous flow all the way to the university gates. When he checks his phone, he finds he only took ten minutes. Had there been fewer electric scooters on the bike lanes, he could have gone even faster. Songhai University was founded in the early 20th century, over a century and a half ago, and is among the top-tier institutions nationwide. Besides its outstanding faculty, the university's two most distinctive features are: its tradition of matching renowned flowers with suitable partners, and its culture of courageous students who are willing to engage in sword-fighting. Grandma used to advise her younger sister that girls should learn to protect themselves at school. As they grew older, she would also remind her male grandchildren to take care of themselves. Grandma was deeply dissatisfied with the current society. Upon entering the campus, passing the central axis adorned with sculptures of the founders, he slowly rode along the path on the right, lined with maple trees, toward the academic buildings. The campus environment is elegant and tranquil. Students either record videos or chat casually on benches by the roadside, or carry textbooks and hurry to their classes. The wide, clean streets, lush lawns, and older dormitory buildings create a serene, upscale residential neighborhood atmosphere—there's a noticeable absence of the traditional "university" feel. Zhang Yuanqing parked his bicycle outside the building, carried his backpack, and entered the main administrative building. In the trapezoidal classroom, Zhang Yuan took a quick glance and noticed that students were scattered in small groups—many had missed class. He casually chose a seat and just as he sat down, heard two boys talking softly behind him: “I just saw Xu Yingying at the school gate—she’s waiting again for her ‘patron.’” “Nonsense. How could my goddess be supported like that?” “True—every Monday, a man comes to pick her up, driving a luxury car worth hundreds of thousands. I saw it last Monday.” “Are you sure? Maybe it’s just a ride-hailing service.” “Would you kiss a ride-hailing driver?” “…Ugh. In high school, girls liked top students. In college, they prefer wealthy, socially active men. When will an ordinary guy finally rise up?” Xu Yingying was a classmate, beautiful and the class’s top girl. Zhang Yuan couldn’t help turning around and joking, “Your wife stored in the hard drive can help you rise up.” "The two boys seemed surprised that Zhang Yuanqing had spoken up, pausing momentarily. Zhang Yuanqing looked at them and asked, 'What's wrong?' The boy who had been called Li Le Sheng gave a short 'hmm,' saying, 'Zhang Yuanqing, something must have happened to you today—this isn't like you at all.' Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback, 'Why do you say that?' Just as Li Le Sheng was about to respond, the teacher wearing black-framed glasses entered, carrying a stack of books, and the bustling classroom instantly fell silent. Along the corridor leading to the rooms, several uniformed security officers were busy—some taking photos, others collecting fingerprints and hair samples. Li Dongze moved past them, entered the hotel room, and immediately detected a strong scent of blood. He scanned the suite and saw two bodies covered by white sheets, their pristine bed linens stained with broad patches of dark red blood. Li Dongze extended his cane, lifting the sheets to reveal a man and a woman lying naked on the bed. He paused, his voice low and steady: "It's indeed Zhao Yingjun." Guan Ya carefully examined every corner of the room, fine white mist seeping from her pupils. After a moment, she said: "There are no signs of struggle, no traces of deliberate handling—only two condoms in the trash can, though three were missing from the box." She then glanced at the female victim with a touch of compassion. Li Dongze covered the white cloth again and said in a serious tone, "Guan Ya, you stay here to assist the security officers with fingerprint and hair samples, and retrieve the surveillance footage. I need to contact Commander Fu Bai and the team leaders—perhaps we'll have to meet for a briefing." Guan Ya nodded slightly, "I'll send you the details of the scene and the personnel details shortly." Zhao Yingjun is a consultant with the Xiangshui Road Security Office and a member of the Baihu Army, holding the rank of Second-Class Scout. One of the Wuxing Alliance members has been killed—this is a major incident. ... On the second floor of the villa, a small conference room. The conference room is elegantly and luxuriously furnished, with a soft wool carpet covering the floor and a long wooden table placed at the center. On the table are an exquisite fruit platter, translucent ham slices, premium imported red wine, several boxes of cigars, and an array of fine pastries and desserts. At the far end of the table, a white projection screen hangs, displaying a segment of hotel surveillance footage. In the video, a man wearing a baseball cap and a mask walks from the elevator entrance toward the guest room, retrieves his room key, opens the door, and enters. Forty minutes later, the man exits the room, hands in his pockets, head down, and walks away. The video ends. Li Dongze presses the pause button and looks at the team leaders at the table, saying: "This morning, the hotel reported an alarm. The housekeeping staff found the door locked and could not open it, so they entered to check on the situation—only to discover that both guests had been murdered. Zhao Yingjun had been physically abused before his death, with numerous cuts across his body and his hands and feet bound, though the fatal injury was caused by a sharp object piercing his heart. The female victim is Liu Xiaoe, who also died from a sharp object piercing her heart, but she had not been physically abused. Based on the missing contraceptive套 found at the scene, we suspect she was disrespected by the killer before her death. Additionally, the Public Security Bureau reviewed both of their mobile phones and confirmed that Liu Xiaoe was Zhao Yingjun's mistress. "We retrieved the surveillance footage from the other entrances and exits of the hotel, but we didn't see how the murderer escaped—he must have had a special means of evading detection. Our initial assessment is that the murderer is a master of the spiritual realm." Six people were seated around the table. The chief was a young man in a white suit, embodying the aloofness and grace of a noble family heir, with a stylish short ponytail, his facial features finely sculpted and strikingly handsome. The seat to his left was empty—this was where Li Dongze usually sat. On his right sat a woman cradling a orange cat, dressed in a qipao inspired by ink-wash paintings; her mature, full figure and graceful presence were evident, with a well-groomed, smooth, and porcelain-like complexion, softly adorned with a light makeup, exuding a serene and refined demeanor. Beside her was a middle-aged man wearing a miner's cap and safety attire, his dark complexion reflecting the weathering of a dedicated worker. Across from her sat a fitness trainer in a tailored suit, with broad, powerful arms that matched the slender waists of women, sharp and intense eyes, and a restless, impatient energy that radiated with every The last one is a woman in her twenties, dressed in a white racing suit, tight leather pants, with sleek black wavy hair, a delicate oval face—both cool and striking. These five are the leaders of the Kangyang District's Lingjing Xingzhe team, with a few others unable to attend for various reasons. The young gentleman in a white suit surveys the room, his deep brown eyes calm and serene, speaking gently, "Now, what do you all think? Qingteng, you go first." The lady in a qipao slightly frowns, "Ordinary Lingjing Xingzhe wouldn't dare to kill our official personnel—perhaps it was someone from the evil-occupation faction." Li Dongze replies, "We're still investigating Hengjun's recent interpersonal connections." If it were indeed the evil-occupation Lingjing Xingzhe responsible, the severity of the incident would rise significantly. The fire-master, broad-shouldered and strong, raises his eyebrows, his voice filled with indignation, "Evil-occupation? These mice from the backwater—dare to kill members of the Wu-Xing Alliance? I'll make sure they pay for it." "Others looked serious. Bai Long, dressed in a race suit, murmured, 'What is Zhao Yingjun's combat strength?' Li Dongze turned to Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang replied, 'He has a defensive item.' Hearing this, Bai Long's expression grew more serious. 'Although a Level 2 Scout isn't particularly skilled in combat, with a defensive item, it would be difficult to kill him—especially without disturbing the guest in the adjacent room. This gives us a solid initial assessment of the killer's capabilities.' Tang Guoqiang, the construction company owner wearing a miner's cap, spoke with conviction, 'He's very strong.' Dajiaba scoffed, repeating what he had just said, 'How strong is he, then? Anyone who dares to kill one of our Wuxing Alliance members will have to meet their end, no matter how strong they are.' Bai Long silently rested his hand on his forehead, thinking how, during the meeting, he could just get rid of the rather clumsy representative from the Chihuo Clan. Li Dongze added, 'Through our investigation, we've found that Zhao Yingjun has numerous mistresses, particularly fond of supporting young female university students. We are currently reviewing each of his "Da Ji Bao furrowed his brow, asking, 'Why?'" "Zhao Yingjun's hotel for meetings with his mistress wasn't fixed, yet the killer managed to locate the hotel address and pinpoint the room number—this indicates that the killer has a solid understanding of Zhao Yingjun's movements. Either he knows someone within Zhao's circle, or he has been tracking him over an extended period," Li Dongze explained. "The person who knows you best is always the one beside your bed. Perhaps we can gain valuable insights from Zhao Yingjun's mistress." The team leaders nodded seriously. Li Dongze continued, "Zhao Yingjun was subjected to interrogation and physical abuse before his death. Let me ask you—what exactly did the killer question him about? What did he uncover? Whether the killer harbors a personal grudge or is part of a more sinister profession, this is something we must take seriously." The team leaders' expressions grew more serious. For years, the conflict between the Chaotic and the Lawful professions has been fierce—each relentlessly hunting the other. What draws the Chaotic profession in is precisely the information and even the hidden locations held by the official Spirit Travelers. Yet if the murderer were not someone from a malevolent profession, a powerful traveler from the Spiritual Realm, risking displeasing the official organizations, had secretly entered the hotel to question guests and kill them—then the truth behind the crime might be even more complex. Qingteng said solemnly, "We must swiftly identify the murderer." Dajibu, upon hearing this, glanced around, remarking, "Why hasn't Yuan Ting come? If he were to consume Zhao Yingjun's spiritual essence and gain access to Zhao's memories, we would then know who the murderer is." The importance of the Night-Wanderer deities capable of manipulating spiritual bodies became immediately apparent. Fu Qingyang shook his head and said, "Yesterday, the Taiyuan Sect convened all official Night-Wanderer deities to meet in the capital for a meeting. Yuan Ting was not in Songhai." His expression remained calm throughout, as if even if the heavens had collapsed, he would not have been perturbed. Meeting in the capital? The several captains felt a weight settle upon them. If Yuan Ting wasn't present, then Night-Wanderers from other regions certainly wouldn't be either. Wasn't this too coincidental? The murderer had waited so long—neither acting Da Ji Bua snapped, "What's going on with the Taiyuan Sect? They've always been either late or never convened meetings—now they're doing it just at this moment? We've been waiting long enough to cultivate our own Night-Wanderer deity!" Li Dongze sighed, "The cause-and-effect has been reversed—the murderer chose this very moment. Well, that's not crucial. Everyone needn't worry—we already have our own Night-Wanderer."