This little guy, why is he going off to visit his aunt again...? Zhang Yuanqing wanted to curse under his breath. Once more, he lowered the brim of his hat and watched with his peripheral vision as the little person—a charmingly clumsy yet nimble baby spirit—moved toward Jiang Yubi, then opened her arms and wrapped himself around her calf, hanging from there. What on earth is going on? Why does this little one seem so fond of Aunt Jiang? Zhang Yuanqing blinked in surprise, his expression growing steadily more complex. Jiang Yubi was completely unaware, chatting pleasantly with Guan Ya. “Did your husband come with you?” “He’s still in college.” “Oh, a university student? My nephew is also one—yet he hasn’t found anyone yet.” “Is that right?” “Yes, yes—it really is embarrassing!” Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself: You've graduated and been working for two years now—you’re just as single as ever. Who are you looking down on? At that moment, he saw the little one slide off Aunt Jiang’s leg, settle on the floor, head tilted upward, as if trying to make sense of something around him. Then, swiftly moving toward the deeper end of the corridor, he crawled into a medical office. Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden spark of awareness and moved silently, stepping after without making a sound. When the little one entered the office, Zhang Yuanqing waited for about fifteen seconds before casually walking over to pretend he was just passing by. The door to the office was slightly open. At the desk sat a young doctor in a white coat—his features soft and warm, exuding an understated elegance that made him instantly pleasant. He stood straight with his spine, intently sensing something. The little one climbed onto the desk and began playing about independently. It had to be him—the owner of this spirit. Zhang Yuanqing sensed a special connection between the child and this doctor, and combined with subtle gestures from the young physician, he concluded that this man was precisely the Spirit Realm Walker quietly cultivating a Spirit Servant. Zhang Yuanqing didn’t disturb the doctor; instead, he turned and walked away to the waiting hall, then dialed Guan Ya’s phone. The phone rang twice before being hung up—then shortly after, the mixed-race woman in flowing attire emerged with graceful strides. “I’ve found out,” she said, “the ghost stories started half a month ago—the number of cases isn’t large. We’ll pull the patient records from the outpatient department and also request a list of staff members in the obstetrics and gynecology section.” Zhang Yuanqing murmured, “I’ve identified my target.” “How fast?” Guan Ya’s expression immediately darkened. “Who?” “It’s an obstetrician—the name on his badge reads Wang Qian—and he works at the fourth outpatient office along the corridor to the right,” Zhang Yuanqing said, adding: “What now should we do?” Guan Ya paused for a few seconds before responding, “I’ll first check in with him personally—to see how deep his roots go—then decide whether I need to call the Chief and request reinforcements.” Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously, “How exactly will you test his depth?” “Well, there’s something strange about your tone,” smiled Lao Si Ji. Then a soft glow of white light flickered in her eyes as she regarded Zhang Yuanqing. “You have strong physical condition—your vital energy is robust, and the Power of the Moon within you is quite substantial, equivalent to level one mid-stage. Your current emotions are curiosity, vigilance, and a quiet sense of resistance—but not directed at me.” Noticing that Zhang Yuanqing was slowly opening his mouth in astonishment, Guan Ya chuckled: “That’s the Insight skill—level one Scout. I can perceive your general level, but only up to the Elevated Realm level.” “If I don’t appear within ten seconds, you come over. If I show up within ten seconds, we’ll call for reinforcements,” she added as she put on her glasses and smoothly moved toward the obstetrics department. Zhang Yuanqing watched her enter the office and quietly counted to ten. When Guan Ya still hadn’t appeared, he lowered his hat and began moving. When Zhang Yuanqing returned to the outpatient room, Guan Ya was seated across from the young doctor, exchanging information about fertility care. “Ah—” Seeing Zhang Yuanqing return and close the door behind them, the young doctor frowned slightly. Guan Ya stood up with her arms crossed, smiling: “We’re representatives of the Five Elements Alliance—the second small team in Kangyang District, Spirit Realm Walkers. You’ve violated protocol by unlawfully cultivating a Spirit Servant—we’d like to investigate.” The doctor’s face remained composed as he scanned both of them before speaking firmly: “I don’t understand what you're saying—please stop interrupting my work; otherwise I’ll have to call the police.” As he spoke, he rose and walked toward the door, calling out, “Don’t block the entrance—I still have patients.” When the doctor began moving toward Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing tensed slightly, ready to shift into Night Wandering Deity mode. He wasn't worried—since Guan Ya remained in place, it meant she had sensed that the doctor’s strength was insufficient; with just the two of them, they could handle him. Zhang Yuanqing had been preparing for resistance… yet at this very moment, he saw the young doctor suddenly soften, his expression becoming deeply sorrowful as he began to sing softly: “Thinking back on all our twists and turns—only we two understand, you say you're tired—can I just let go of you now?” Hearing such a touching song, Zhang Yuanqing felt an indelible sense of sadness, exhaustion, helplessness—and even a waning spirit. What’s the point in persisting? Why not simply let go? So he quietly shifted aside and no longer blocked the doorway. Guan Ya at the desk immediately stood up, spun around with graceful movements—her high heels clicking steadily as she swept her legs. Then—a powerful strike! The doctor who had been trying to escape was slammed in the side by a well-aimed leg sweep, stumbling backward and crashing into the wall, his face pale as he clutched his ribs before collapsing to the floor. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly snapped back into clarity—his sense of sadness and weariness lifted. What am I thinking? Why do I find myself so uninterested in this man? He felt utterly bewildered. “Ah, a Musician Skill then,” Guan Ya said with a dry smile: “You not only violated the rules by cultivating a Spirit Servant—you’ve resisted arrest and used your abilities to challenge official Spirit Realm Walkers… even causing significant emotional trauma to our personnel. That’s what constitutes an official arrest.” She glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and added: “Now, we formally proceed with your detention.” The doctor pressed his hands against the painful area of his ribs, pale-faced: “You can’t detain me—my affiliation is with Zhishake Palace. Zhishake Palace operates independently—we’ve always maintained a policy of non-interference between our two organizations. You cannot arrest someone without proper notice.” Guan Ya’s brows furrowed slightly, her tone serious. Zhang Yuanqing asked softly: “Zhishake Palace?” “It's a local Spirit Realm Walker organization in Songhai—not part of the official structure—led by a high-level Spirit Realm Walker,” Guan Ya explained. “The head of this organization is at an elevated level and has signed a mutual non-intrusion agreement with our branch office. The Five Elements Alliance cannot arbitrarily detain or assign responsibilities to Zhishake Palace members. This group tends to be quite passionate, always advocating for ‘fighting through conflict’ and ‘killing to stop killing.’ Their head is especially intense—so long as they remain calm, our branch will make room for harmonious coexistence.” “We can’t insult the head of the palace,” the doctor said with quiet anger. “The premise of mutual non-intrusion rests on your conduct being steady and consistent. Since you’ve committed this act of violation, no one can save you anymore,” Guan Ya replied, her expression now frosty, sharp in tone. At that moment, she was no longer merely the seasoned driver—she had transformed into a stern, decisive enforcer. “No—I have not violated any rule at all,” Wang Qian said firmly, defending himself. He sat down on the floor, refusing to rise, afraid of appearing rude or intrusive in front of these official Spirit Realm Walkers. “Do you need me to remind you about that child?” Zhang Yuanqing asked coldly. He was already thinking through how best to handle this man—whether he should treat him as a villain who had done wrong—or simply proceed with standard procedure, following the protocols of the Five Elements Alliance and resolving everything under his own authority. Yet in his heart, there remained a doubt: during the brief time he had passed by observing from afar—the doctor seemed to sense the infant spirit’s presence but couldn’t actually see it clearly. Upon hearing the word “child,” Wang Qian's face brightened dramatically—he suddenly realized: “Ah—so this is what caused the misunderstanding! I never cultivated a Spirit Servant—I’m merely a Musician Skill specialist, without any ability to do so. That child was simply an accident.” “What kind of accident?” “Yes—that’s my sister’s child who passed away.” Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya exchanged glances—then Zhang Yuanqing stood up in surprise: “You even let go of your own cousin?” It seemed that Wang Qian’s words had further stirred his emotion. He said earnestly, “No—I’ve already made it clear—that was an accident.” “About half a month ago, my sister fell at home—her water broke and began to bleed. The baby inside was injured. She was seven months pregnant at the time—and the hospital immediately performed a cesarean section. However, the newborn’s condition wasn’t optimistic…” “In order to save the unborn infant, I applied to the organization for a piece of equipment—hoping that its power could help sustain him until birth—but ultimately, he still passed away.” “By chance,” he continued, “that very device infused life energy into him, transforming him into a unique spirit-being.” Zhang Yuanqing, lacking experience and depth in his understanding, glanced toward Guan Ya. The mixed-race woman thought for a moment before nodding: “The Musician Skill profession does indeed possess nurturing capabilities—I’ve read about this in documentation—but it's not classified as an Elevated Stage skill.” Ah—so that’s why he needed to apply for the equipment? Zhang Yuanqing pondered quietly. The young doctor spoke softly: “You came because you heard of the ghostly reports, didn’t you? Because of this device, the spirit hasn’t been able to dissipate—it keeps returning day after day, lingering in the hospital.” “He’s still quite young—he doesn’t understand much at all—doesn't even realize he's a spirit-being. He naturally gravitates toward older women, and therefore, people with weaker vital energy often sense his presence.” Zhang Yuanqing asked: “So you’ve simply left him to his own devices?” “How could I possibly intervene?” the doctor replied. “My Musician Skill grants me deep sensitivity—so I can perceive him—but I cannot interact directly with a spirit-body as the Night Wandering Deity does. All I can offer is companionship, until he eventually fades away completely.” As he spoke, tears of quiet sadness welled up in his eyes. Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t help it—he subtly glanced at the little one playing happily on the desk. No one sees him—no one pays attention to him. Hasn't that been how he has spent all these years? After carefully listening and reflecting, Zhang Yuanqing found everything perfectly logical. That’s precisely why there were ghostly occurrences in the hospital—the infant spirit had carried the Night Wandering Deity's aura when it went home with Aunt Jiang—and being inherently untethered, it was beyond the control of the Musician Skill specialist. Zhang Yuanqing turned to Guan Ya and asked for her assessment. Guan Ya nodded slightly—her expression warm yet thoughtful. A Scout can detect some clumsy lies—but this man’s words were consistent, without any inconsistencies. Guan Ya asked: “What is your sister’s name?” “Wang Qian.” “Please produce your identification card.” After verifying the ID, Guan Ya returned it to Wang Qian and said: “We’ll verify your sister’s details—then report this information to the organization and request they contact Zhishake Palace for confirmation. We will call you again within 24 hours. Until then, we kindly ask that you remain in Songhai.” Wang Qian exhaled deeply and nodded. Guan Ya immediately requested his mobile number—and then they both left together. Zhang Yuanqing quietly guided the little one to follow them—when they exited the obstetrics department, he used the excuse of going to the restroom—to bring the child… no, to bring the spirit back into himself. … On the second-floor glass building, in the office zone. Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya ascended to the second floor—and found Li Dongze absent. Lao Si Ji called out: “Wang Tai—where is the Chief?” Wang Tai didn’t even look up—he replied: “You’ve just left—we were only there a short time before the Chief departed, due to recent sightings of a Wu Gu Master in Fenghui District. He’s currently organizing personnel for pursuit—the Chief has been invited to assist.” A Wu Gu Master—member of the Spirit Ability Association? Is this related to the Gwei-Yan Judge incident? Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and said happily: “Miss Guan, I’ll take charge of drafting the task report.” With the Chief absent, there’s no need for face-to-face reporting—and a written report format is highly adaptable. “That’s quite thoughtful,” Guan Ya added with a smile to Wang Tai: “Could you please retrieve the archived personnel information from Zhishake Palace?” After a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing began typing rapidly—having learned many of the nuances of effective report writing from Guan Ya—he mastered the art of weaving in long-winded descriptions and vague explanations. He glanced at Li Dongze briefly—then lost interest in reading further. It’s true that enslaving a spirit is unlawful—but this little one possesses intelligence, unlike those spirits with merely residual consciousness who are simply dormant. To extinguish him would be to extinguish life itself. Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing decided to keep the infant spirit—not just as a case, but to nurture and develop it well. The entire afternoon and evening, Zhang Yuanqing spent immersed in learning about the Spirit Realm, various career specializations, and introductions to both the evil organizations and official bodies. During this time, he engaged in constant chatter with Guan Ya, which delighted Lao Si Ji, as Yuan Shi proved far more engaging than Wang Tai. Wang Tai, on the other hand, was quite restless—too much noise from the conversation. Near closing time, Zhang Yuanqing received a call from Li Dongze. “Chief? The matter at Pingtai Hospital has been resolved; I’ve already sent over the task report to your email.” “Are you still at the office?” Li Dongze briefly skipped over the task report. “Yes, I’m just about to head out.” “You stay a while—my driver will come pick you up. There’s something I’d like to ask you to help with.”