Li Dongze sat behind a luxurious desk, holding a sharp trimmer to carefully groom his two small mustaches. "I don't particularly like trimming my beard—it's quite troublesome—but for elegance, this is a price I have to pay," he smiled, observing him. "It seems you've passed the screening at Taimei Gate." Indeed, Shi Chang knew precisely why Taimei Gate was seeking him, and had not even offered any prior hints—should he do that, I'd lose you, Zhang Yuanqing remarked casually. "Does Shi Chang also know of the Mage King?" "Across official bodies, evil organizations, civilian groups, and independent practitioners, the number of high-tier spiritual realm travelers who have fallen at the Mage King's hands exceeds even a pair of hands—his reputation is well-established," Li Dongze said, concentrating on his grooming. "Still, such a prominent figure remains distant. An elephant may accidentally trample an ant, but it won't deliberately step on one." Isn't the Mage King anything but a good guy? How does Bing Bo even have any connection to him? Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to say: "Captain, could you kindly help me inquire about the Jiangnan Province office regarding the progress of Lei Yibing's case? Also, I'd like to have a detailed investigation into Lei Yibing's activities, social connections, and personal interactions during his university years—more detailed the better." Previously, as a newcomer with limited experience and capabilities, Zhang Yuanqing had harbored the hope that Lei Yibing's disappearance would be a long-term assignment. But now, with the truth about the Magistrate's Role Card revealed, he had to reevaluate Lei Yibing's disappearance. Why did Lei Yibing vanish? Was he alive or deceased? What was the significance behind bestowing the Role Card upon him? A dense veil of mystery now enveloped these questions—questions that were deeply tied to both Lei Yibing and himself. Even though he was currently relatively weak in strength, he could no longer afford to remain passive; he had to begin exploring and investigating. Lei Yibing had only sent him the Role Card, without revealing any further information—this could be understood. Sometimes, it wasn't that Lei Yibing didn't want to speak; others simply managed to open his mouth. Without mentioning it himself, Bingge probably does so out of concern for him—yet he will surely leave behind corresponding clues, guiding him step by step to explore and uncover the truth. Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing needs as much information as possible about Bingge. Li Dongze nodded thoughtfully. "Good. I'll call on my colleagues there to help, though it will take some time." In Li Dongze's view, it's natural for Yuan Shi to care about his childhood friend's safety; yet he believes that, as a spiritual realm traveler, Bingge has likely perished within the realm after just one week of entering it. After discussing Bingge's situation, Zhang Yuanqing finally turned to his main point, his expression serious. "Captain, I have something to report." Seeing his subordinate serious and focused, Li Dongze set down his razor, closed the makeup mirror, and straightened his posture slightly. "What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing then provided Li Dongze with a detailed account of the hospital where his aunt's room had become haunted, and how, unintentionally, he had brought the infant spirit home; however, he omitted and slightly altered the information regarding the spiritual servant. Describes the infant spirit as a spirit that has undergone purification but not yet elevated to the rank of spirit servant. While saying this, Zhang Yuanqing composed himself, maintaining a steady expression and tone to avoid detection by the scouts. In conclusion, he stated, "I suspect that some cultivators at the Spirit Realm level are conducting experiments on creating spirit servants at the hospital—likely night-wandering deities. But I'm unsure whether they are wild or officially appointed." Li Dongze's expression grew progressively more strained, and he clenched his walking cane tightly, exclaiming, "Oh my goodness, this is a soul worthy of damnation. I'll make him pay for what he's done—I swear it." Ordinary human spirits should not be used to create spirit servants—again, this is rooted in humanism. Plainly put, what would your family or friends think if, after their passing, they were transformed into spirit servants? I thought you'd say, I really want to kick his behind hard with my boots… Zhang Yuanqing mentally complained about the captain's habitual phrases. "Captain, I've already performed the afterlife rites for that child and retrieved the target information from his memories. I'd like to apply for a solo mission to gain some experience." Zhang Yuanqing presented his proposal. As soon as he finished speaking, he knew that Li Dongze would never agree. Li Dongze nodded in agreement: "Your idea is sound, but during the process of gaining experience, you're bound to encounter setbacks. In the realm of spirit travelers, even one misstep can mean death. How about this—let Guan Ya join you. Her physical conditioning and marksmanship surpass mine." "Very good, Captain," Zhang Yuanqing thought with quiet satisfaction. The case of Yinling required him to secure the lead position in order to downplay the existence of the small, clumsy one, yet as Li Dongze pointed out, incidents involving spiritual travelers must be handled with great care—negligence often comes at the cost of life, as evidenced by Ou Xiangrong. Therefore, he needed an experienced assistant. When he expressed his desire to go on a training journey, Li Dongze would likely step back and instead arrange for Guan Ya to accompany him. Everyone knew that, as a Night-Wanderer deity with rule-based tools at his disposal, Zhang Yuanqing had a high tolerance for risk and could easily withstand ordinary dangers. In Zhang Yuanqing’s view, Guan Ya was far easier to manage than Li Dongze. "Then shall I go find Guan Ya right away?" Li Dongze nodded, suddenly chuckling, "Your singing is quite good—just don’t do it again next time." "...” …… Kangyang District, Pingtai Hospital. As a tertiary hospital, Ping Tai specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, boasting several authoritative experts in the field, ranking among the top five nationally. A black business sedan drives into the hospital, its doors sliding open automatically. Guan Ya examines Zhang Yuanqing's dazed expression and gently asks, "Have you been experiencing screen halos on your phone or computer screens recently?" "Why are you asking this?" Zhang Yuanqing, who has been thinking about how to identify his target, regains his focus. Guan Ya lifts a refined smile, her bright, inviting eyes sparkling. "Your expression tells me you've been less restrained lately." Zhang Yuanqing is used to her style of communication and doesn't respond, instead saying, "The director has asked me to work with you. In such cases, what do we typically do first?" Guan Ya sets aside her smile and speaks seriously, "First, we identify the target person, then investigate their real-life identity. You've already seen him—identifying the target shouldn't be difficult." Then engage him. If his strength is weak, take direct control; otherwise, notify the shizhang and carry out a forcible arrest. "But we're uncertain whether there are allies within the hospital, or the scale of their spiritual servant cultivation efforts. Therefore, it's best to remain cautious and first conduct a preliminary assessment of Ping Tai Hospital. "Begin by investigating the ghostly incidents—when did they start? Establish a clear time frame. Are there any other ghostly reports beyond the infant spirits? "Review the records of miscarriages and induced abortions during that period, focusing specifically on male infants with significant gestational months—such a group will be relatively small, making it easier to identify the infant spirits. "Infants have particularly weak spiritual energy, which dissipates rapidly upon death. Thus, anyone who had contact with pregnant women during that period becomes a key target for screening. "Among these individuals, if any person you've identified as a target through your spiritual inquiries is found, proceed with arrest. If not, it indicates the presence of allies within the hospital. The idea was so clear—this was what a scout was supposed to be like… Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, saying, “My aunt is at the hospital. I’m not very convenient to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Why don’t we take separate approaches? I’ll handle the topics related to spiritual bodies, and you take the lead on the obstetrics and gynecology side.” The two of them got off the car, put on their masks and baseball caps, and then split up to proceed separately. … On the other hand, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at a quiet corridor and summoned the little comic. "Ah-bah, ah-bah…" The infant, round and endearing with sparse downy hair, lay on the ground, its glossy eyes gazing at Zhang Yuanqing with pure innocence. Zhang Yuanqing conveyed to it thoughts of "freedom to move," "go play," and so on. He intended to use the little comic to lure the serpent out—having lost a precious spiritual servant, the person behind it would surely come searching. When he discovered the infant spirit reappearing at the hospital, that person would surely be drawn to him. Even if the plan to lure the serpent failed, the little comic would still guide him to the person behind the scenes; it would remember the one who crafted it, and naturally feel a sense of affinity. With Zhang Yuanqing’s permission, the little comic joyfully waved its limbs and began to climb up the corridor. Zhang Yuanqing followed it all the way to the fourth floor, opened the corridor door, entered the waiting hall, and then trailed it further to the obstetrics department. Was that person really in the obstetrics department? Zhang Yuan was just thinking when a clear, bell-like laugh reached his ears, "Really? You also like that skincare brand? I often travel abroad—I'll bring you some back when I return." It was Guan Ya's voice. Turning in the direction of the sound, he saw the woman chatting warmly with a female doctor in a white coat, talking nonstop. That doctor was his aunt. Good heavens! Zhang Yuan lowered his hat brim, trying to keep his gaze down, avoiding eye contact with his aunt. Though both wore masks and hats, given how well they knew each other and how familiar they were, his aunt could easily recognize him just by looking at his eyes. At that moment, he noticed his lively, cheerful aunt crawling happily toward him.