Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan made the final stroke on the talisman paper, and a pale golden light suddenly flashed, as if the sound of thunder rumbled high in the sky.
The birth of every new talisman that conforms to the laws of the Dao elicits a response from the Heavenly Dao.
Qi Quan looked at the new eighth-grade talisman in her hand, a slight smile lifting her lips.
Every time she completed a new talisman, or researched a new type of formation, she felt immense satisfaction.
A hand holding a phone appeared before her eyes.
[Very impressive.]
Qi Quan smiled and asked, "You contributed to this new talisman too. Help me think of a name for it."
Ling Sheng was stunned for a moment. Sitting beside her, he propped his chin on one hand, pondered briefly, and then wrote on the phone: [Compression Talisman.]
Qi Quan: ?
System: ???
It was indeed straightforward and easy to understand.
Qi Quan sighed inwardly: [Suddenly, I feel the name I gave him isn't that bad.]
System: [Hahahahaha!]
After laughing, it asked: [So, have you thought of a nicer name?]
Qi Quan: [I can't deprive someone else of the sense of accomplishment from naming it. Let's go with this.]
System: [Pfft.]
Both were terrible at naming.
"Let's go, to the Investigation Department," Qi Quan said.
Ling Sheng followed her.
She had contacted Meng Yunzheng earlier, and when she went out, a car was already waiting at the villa entrance.
Qi Quan cast an illusion spell on Ling Sheng's face and got into the Investigation Department's car.
The driver this time was Tang Mian.
She had changed her hairstyle to a neat, ear-length bob, making her look even more efficient and sharp.
She drove as steadily as Shen Hui.
The system was surprised: [It's actually not Investigator Shen picking you up this time.]
Qi Quan chuckled.
Shen Hui surely had his own missions; he wasn't her personal chauffeur.
"Senior, Shen Hui is out on a case, so I'm here to pick you up today," Tang Mian proactively explained.
Qi Quan smiled, "Thank you for your trouble."
Tang Mian felt excited internally, a hint of exhilaration showing on her face.
The car drove all the way to the Investigation Department.
The Investigation Department was still located in the standalone villa in the suburbs. Compared to its previous desolation, the place was now bustling with people.
A long line had even formed at the entrance.
A sign stood in front of the line with the words "Recruitment" written in large characters.
Meng Yunzheng had already come to the entrance to greet her, drawing the attention of many queuing practitioners.
"Is that Director Meng?"
"Yes, I've seen his photo on the official website."
"He's waiting for someone?"
"The Director himself is waiting? Who has such prestige?"
"You don't know? Our department's Chief Consultant lives in Longjiang!"
The crowd suddenly fell silent, then erupted into a frenzy the next second.
"Oh my god! It's the Chief Consultant!"
"Is the Chief Consultant really coming?"
"Wuwuwu, I never thought I'd get to see the goddess just by coming to queue!"
Under everyone's expectant gazes, a car stopped at the entrance of the Investigation Department.
Meng Yunzheng personally stepped forward and opened the rear door.
Qi Quan inside the car: ?
Giving her this much face?
She smoothly got out of the car, facing a long line of fervent looks with calm and composed composure.
Ling Sheng got out from the other side, but circled around the car body to stand beside her.
"My god! The goddess is so beautiful!"
"Both beautiful and heroic!"
"I came to sign up today at just the right time!"
"Who is that next to the senior?"
"An assistant, probably."
"The assistant is so lucky, able to be by the senior's side every day."
"Who says otherwise."
Ignoring these discussions, Qi Quan stepped through the Investigation Department's gate.
Suddenly, a young voice rang out from the crowd.
"Senior Qi! Was that giant sword shadow in Longhu City your doing?"
The entire area fell silent.
Brother, you've got guts!
But everyone pricked up their ears; they were also extremely curious about this.
Qi Quan turned around, her expression showing not the slightest arrogance, even revealing a faint smile.
"Yes."
After speaking, she walked into the Investigation Department amidst the crowd's reverent and admiring looks.
The crowd suddenly erupted into fierce cheers.
It really was the senior!
Wuwuwu, getting to see the senior once, I have no regrets in this life!
This news instantly spread throughout the mystical community.
Members of the mystical community: It was really to be expected.
They couldn't help but feel even more awe.
Investigation Department meeting room.
Meng Yunzheng brought in two practitioners.
"Senior, I've already received Director Li's call saying you intend to remove their puppet talisman seals. Shall we begin now?"
The two practitioners: ???
Remove puppet talisman seals? Seriously?
How is that possible!
The two sneered, lifting their eyes to look at Qi Quan, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in their eyes, crying out and closing them.
Ling Sheng retracted his spiritual power and continued diligently holding Qi Quan's bag.
Qi Quan paid no mind to those two.
She tossed out the peachwood plaque, releasing the soul forms of the three seventh-grade practitioners.
The three souls faced the two living practitioners, and they were all dumbfounded.
This was truly... trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice.
Not a single part of their plan succeeded.
The two living practitioners, seeing the three who had already become soul forms, couldn't help but ask, "What about the other one?"
The eyebrowless practitioner: "Dead."
The shadow cast by that giant sword was still deeply branded in his soul.
He and the other two had long lost any will to resist.
These two fools, having never personally faced the pressure of that giant sword, simply couldn't understand their fear.
The two fools widened their eyes.
Are you kidding me? Three seventh-grades, one eighth-grade, plus the Bloodburst Pill, and you still couldn't take down a twenty-two-year-old girl?
Utterly speechless!
The tall, sturdy practitioner's soul form directly knelt on the ground, pleading cowardly: "Senior, this lowly one was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai, accidentally offending you. Please be magnanimous and allow this lowly one to go to the cycle of reincarnation."
The two fools: "..."
So disgraceful!
Qi Quan looked at Ling Sheng.
Ling Sheng understood, took five pieces of folded paper from the bag, and handed them to the two practitioners and three souls.
"Each of you, pick one."
The two practitioners and three souls were confused, but didn't dare disobey Qi Quan, so they reached out to take them.
The two fools could pick up the paper, but the three souls couldn't; they could only point, and then Ling Sheng placed the paper in front of them.
"Open them."
All the folded papers were opened.
"Whoever drew number 1, please raise your hand."
One of the fools raised his right hand.
Qi Quan: "Good, it's you."
She recalled the three souls into the peachwood plaque, and Meng Yunzheng immediately took the two practitioners away to make preparations.
One was put back in the interrogation room, the other was taken to the department's medical room.
The chosen practitioner: ???
What is this about?
When his hands and feet were shackled to the hospital bed, he finally felt fear.
Qi Quan and Ling Sheng stood by the bed, one on the left, one on the right, looking at him with extremely calm and indifferent eyes.
"Senior, do I need to leave?" Meng Yunzheng asked.
Qi Quan: "No need."
Meng Yunzheng then stayed at ease.
He wanted to witness this miraculous moment firsthand.
Qi Quan asked Ling Sheng: "Ready?"
Ling Sheng nodded.
Qi Quan shot out a strand of spiritual power, and the practitioner on the bed instantly fell unconscious.
She used her spiritual power to draw a talisman in the air.
In a short while, the eighth-grade Compression Talisman, glowing with a pale golden light, was driven by spiritual power into the practitioner's brow, slowly seeping into his spiritual platform.
There was a seventh-grade puppet talisman seal at the spiritual platform.
The seal was tightly attached deep within the spiritual platform; the slightest unusual movement would trigger its self-destruct sequence.
Qi Quan's spiritual sense probed into his spiritual platform, accurately measuring the location of the puppet talisman seal. She imprinted the Compression Talisman seal into the practitioner's spiritual platform. The talisman seal was frame-shaped, perfectly encircling the puppet talisman seal, pressing tightly against its edges, carved into the practitioner's soul.
Meng Yunzheng had never seen a frame-shaped talisman before.
Earlier, Qi Quan drawing talismans in the void had already shocked him, but he never expected Qi Quan could also create a new talisman specifically designed to counter the puppet talisman.
She was truly incredible!
The talisman seal enveloped the puppet talisman seal, which showed no reaction at all.
Qi Quan withdrew her spiritual sense.
"I will now use the Soul-Searching Art to activate the puppet talisman's self-destruct sequence and test the effect of the Compression Talisman."
Ling Sheng nodded, his eyes sparkling brightly.
As a born spiritual entity, he could sense the changes in the Heavenly Master's spiritual platform even without using spiritual sense.
He was eager for the Compression Talisman to succeed.
Qi Quan formed the Soul-Searching Seal with her hands, which entered the Heavenly Master's brow. The moment the Soul-Searching Seal touched the puppet talisman, the puppet talisman initiated its self-destruct sequence, exploding deep within the spiritual platform—
In that split second, the Compression Talisman sensed the explosion and simultaneously activated its compression mechanism, forcefully suppressing the explosive energy from the outside!
After the initial phase was complete, Ling Sheng immediately channeled his spiritual power, providing ample support to the Compression Talisman, helping it continue to compress the explosive energy bit by bit into a thin, paper-like shape attached to the spiritual platform.
This process was extremely slow and arduous, requiring immense control over spiritual power.
Precise, meticulous, with not a single room for error.
Ling Sheng closed his eyes, his fingertip pressed against the Heavenly Master's brow. Spiritual power continuously flowed into the spiritual platform, performing a delicate cut along the edges of the two talisman seals, "peeling" them off the soul.
He must neither harm the soul nor rupture the energy shield formed by the Compression Talisman encasing the puppet talisman.
Such fine manipulation would be impossible for anyone else, but for Ling Sheng, while not easy, it wasn't particularly difficult either.
It just consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual power and mental focus.
The "surgery" lasted a full three hours.
By the end, Ling Sheng's face had turned pale, with fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples.
Yet, the hand pressed against the brow remained perfectly steady.
Finally—
A thin "paper sheet" was peeled away from the Heavenly Master's soul.
It contained an incredibly powerful explosive energy; even Meng Yunzheng standing nearby could feel its formidable pressure.
He asked, "How should we handle this?"
Qi Quan replied, "The spiritual power of the Compression Talisman still has some remnants. Once the spiritual power dissipates, this thing will explode. We have about ten minutes. Find an empty, uninhabited area and let it detonate."
"Understood!"
Meng Yunzheng immediately took the "thin sheet" and left the medical room.
Qi Quan looked at the exhausted Ling Sheng. "Go sit over there and rest."
Ling Sheng smiled, obediently sitting on a chair and patting the seat beside him.
He was inviting Qi Quan to join him.
Qi Quan didn't refuse and sat down next to him.
System: [Great One, since the puppet talisman has been removed, can we use the Soul-Searching Art now?]
[This is a society governed by law. Extracting confessions through torture is unacceptable. The Soul-Searching Art causes irreversible damage to the subject. The Investigation Department won't use it lightly.]
If information can be obtained through interrogation, there's no need for the cruel Soul-Searching Art.
System: [Oh, right.]
Qi Quan had only drawn a talisman and performed a Soul-Searching Art, not expending much spiritual power, so she remained energetic.
She straightened her back, taking advantage of Meng Yunzheng's absence to cultivate.
Suddenly, a weight settled on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes and glanced sideways.
The young man's head was tilted, resting on her shoulder. His hair, damp with fine sweat, was messily plastered to his forehead. His eyes were closed, and from Qi Quan's angle, she could only see his dense, long eyelashes and straight nose bridge.
Qi Quan thought she would mind the sweat-dampened hair.
But upon seeing the young man's tired, pale face, her heart unexpectedly softened a little.
She reached out and took Ling Sheng's hand. Spiritual power flowed like a gentle stream into his body, alleviating his exhausted energy. Under the nourishment of the spiritual power, the fine sweat on his hair disappeared, and his strands became fluffy again.
Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, it was firmly held.
Qi Quan: ...
She asked: [Does he want me to continue channeling spiritual power to him?]
System: [...]
It refused to answer.
Qi Quan hadn't really expected it to give her an answer anyway.
The young man's palm was warm and dry, slightly larger than hers, with the blue veins on the back of his hand clearly visible.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Ling Sheng nuzzled against her shoulder, lifted his head, his eyes seeming to hold fallen stars. His lips moved, as if he said two words, but no sound came out.
Qi Quan: ?
She wasn't very good at lip-reading.
Right at that moment, Meng Yunzheng hurried back. As soon as he entered the door, he saw the two leaning together.
Well, to be precise, it was the senior's assistant leaning on the senior's shoulder and holding her hand.
Ah, this...
Had he come at a bad time?
Meng Yunzheng was about to take a step back when Qi Quan called out to him.
"The puppet talisman has been removed. Begin the interrogation."
She also wanted to know who had been targeting her all along.
Meng Yunzheng's expression turned serious. "Yes!"
The interrogation went more smoothly than they had imagined.
The Heavenly Master, now freed from the puppet talisman, was not a person of strong will. After sensing that the thing controlling his life and death within his soul was gone, he confessed everything he knew.
He did indeed serve an organization, but he had never met the leader. Only a handler contacted him via phone to assign tasks.
Meng Yunzheng stood outside, frowning. "Our technical department checked his phone before. No special numbers or call records were found."
Qi Quan said, "There's a network expert involved."
Back in Longjing City, Li Guoyan and the others had discovered traces of that network expert, but he escaped beforehand.
This expert was likely highly skilled. The technical personnel of the Longjiang City Investigation Department weren't as capable as those at the Longjing Headquarters, so they couldn't trace it.
Meng Yunzheng thought of this too, his face flushing slightly.
Fortunately, the senior had developed the Compression Talisman and removed the puppet talisman seal. Otherwise, even if they caught someone, they wouldn't have been able to uncover any leads.
Inside the interrogation room, the interrogated Heavenly Master revealed his handler's phone number.
The technical department immediately began investigating.
Perhaps the mastermind was overly confident, believing that someone under the puppet talisman couldn't reveal the truth and trusting in the network expert's abilities, so no precautions were taken with the phone number.
"Director Meng, we found it," a technician said. "The number is registered in Longjing City. The registered owner is named Yan Mao."
Meng Yunzheng showed surprise.
First Yan Wu, now Yan Mao. Could these matters be related to the Yan Family?
The Yan Family was the foremost major clan in the mystical arts community.
He immediately decided to report this to the Longjing Headquarters.
Manor in the suburbs of the capital.
A steward hurried to the main room and reported, "Family Head, a puppet talisman just detonated."
The man's face was expressionless. "Hmm."
Puppet talismans detonating was a common occurrence, nothing to worry about.
"Whose was it?" he asked.
"It was one of those sent to attack the Lakeside Villa," the steward replied.
The man said, "The other one will likely follow soon."
At the Longjing Investigation Department, Li Guoyan, upon receiving the reported message, immediately ordered someone to investigate Yan Mao's personal information.
[Yan Mao, male, twenty-nine years old, Fourth-Level Heavenly Master, outer disciple of the Yan Family.]
The information was extremely brief.
The information was relayed to the Longjiang City Investigation Department. Meng Yunzheng couldn't help but remark, "A Fourth-Level Heavenly Master actually giving orders to a Sixth-Level Heavenly Master. The puppet talisman is truly effective."
Qi Quan asked, "What does the Department plan to do?"
Meng Yunzheng said, "They said to continue investigating in depth."
This Yan Mao was definitely just a small pawn; a bigger fish was still hidden behind him.
Qi Quan nodded.
It was time for her to go back.
This person didn't know about the Blood-Bursting Pills and had no connection to that lead. To find out about the Blood-Bursting Pills, she could only go through those three seventh-level Celestial Masters.
"Senior, please wait a moment," Meng Yunzheng called out to her, asking respectfully, "I wonder if you have time to hear about another case?"
Qi Quan: ?
After Meng Yunzheng gave her a brief overview of the case, she became quite interested.
A ghost in a group chat teaching people to be players?
She followed Meng Yunzheng to the interrogation room.
The case details had been clarified, but Shao Jing was still staying at the investigation office, afraid to leave.
She felt the investigation office had an aura of righteous energy, making it a safe and secure place. She wanted to stay as long as possible.
When Qi Quan arrived, Shen Hui and Tang Mian were both there.
[Big shot, it's the girl who tried to pick up Investigator Shen yesterday!] The system exclaimed in surprise. [Wasn't that male ghost caught by Teacher Xue and then taken away by the investigation office? How is she involved with ghosts again?]
Otherwise, she wouldn't be at the investigation office.
Shao Jing still remembered Qi Quan.
Or rather, she had a deep impression of her.
The first time she saw Qi Quan yesterday, she was stunned by her beauty. Then, looking at the young man beside her, she felt they were a perfect match.
She had never seen anyone more attractive than them.
Overwhelmed by their looks, she couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Shen Hui, just so she could sneak a few more glances at them out of the corner of her eye.
Who would have thought that just one day later, they would meet again.
Now she could finally look at Qi Quan openly.
She was truly beautiful, so beautiful it made one feel inadequate.
Qi Quan sat down opposite Shao Jing.
Shao Jing felt a bit uneasy and asked softly, "Did you find something wrong?"
"May I see your phone?" Qi Quan asked.
Shao Jing was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously handed over her phone.
Even her voice was so pleasant.
Qi Quan tapped on her social media avatar, gathered spiritual energy in her eyes, observed for a moment, then returned the phone to Shao Jing. She asked Meng Yunzheng:
"Has the technical department checked it?"
Meng Yunzheng replied, "They've already checked. No trace of the group 'Siren Queen' was found, and the account 'Squirrel Who Loves Hazelnuts' wasn't found either."
The nicknames on this social media app were unique; there wouldn't be duplicate accounts.
"As for other accounts like 'All Men Are the Same,' they do exist, but no traces of their chats in the 'Siren Queen' group were found."
The system's voice trembled a little: [This is so eerie!]
Qi Quan asked, "What about the delivery box?"
Shen Hui immediately brought over the delivery box.
It was a very ordinary box, and there was no talisman paper inside that Shao Jing had mentioned.
Qi Quan glanced at it and said, "Her avatar is tainted with a bit of ghostly aura, but the delivery box is not."
"Ah?" Shao Jing was confused. "What does that mean?"
Qi Quan explained, "It means there is a ghost in the group, but the talisman paper was your hallucination."
"That can't be. I saw it clearly this morning," Shao Jing said, becoming frantic.
She couldn't accept that she might have a mental problem.
Qi Quan said, "It's not related to your mental state. The talisman pattern sent to you last night simply had a suggestive effect."
It was actually a simple illusion technique, but it was more appropriate to explain it in more scientific terms to an ordinary person.
Shao Jing: "..."
She didn't understand: "Why would someone plant a suggestion in me? I'm just an ordinary person!"
Shen Hui said, "Probably to scare you."
If the investigation office hadn't shown up, perhaps Shao Jing would have questioned "Squirrel Who Loves Hazelnuts" again about the strangely disappearing talisman paper. What would happen next was anyone's guess.
After the police visited, the group immediately disappeared from Shao Jing's phone, showing how alert they were.
Qi Quan asked, "How many people were in the group? Before this, what was your relationship with her like? Have you seen this kind of talisman before?"
Shao Jing: "I didn't pay close attention. I remember there were about two or three hundred people. She was the caring big sister in the group, often comforting the other sisters. I never had any major issues before, so I didn't have much interaction with her. I've also never seen this kind of talisman before."
"Did you ever mention the incident about that male ghost's suicide?"
"I never mentioned it," Shao Jing shook her head.
There was no need for her to spread the news that someone had committed suicide because of her.
"Do you remember the flirting techniques shared in the group?"
"I remember. I already told them when they asked earlier."
Qi Quan looked at Meng Yunzheng, who immediately handed over the interrogation transcript.
She flipped through it.
The system read along with her, puzzled: [These conversation tactics don't seem particularly special. Could they really help someone pick up men and make men devoted to them?]
It didn't understand.
Qi Quan didn't understand either.
If these techniques could truly earn a love so deep that a man would die for it, then why did that male ghost, knowing he was about to be annihilated, mention that Shao Jing was in a "Siren Queen" group?
Was that love?
Qi Quan put down the transcript and asked, "Do you remember what the group's avatar was?"
Shao Jing froze.
She frowned, trying to recall the group avatar, but couldn't remember no matter how hard she tried. She saw it every day!
How could this be?
She hit her head, trying to force herself to remember.
At this point, it was quite clear: the avatar was problematic.
Not everyone could be active in the group chat every day, and the so-called techniques shared in the group weren't suitable for everyone. But as long as they opened the social media app, as long as someone in the group sent a message pushing the group avatar to the top, the group avatar would constantly appear in the members' line of sight.
This avatar might contain some kind of illusion technique, not only affecting the group members but possibly also imbuing them with a certain "alluring power" that could influence the men around them.
Of course, these were just speculations. The truth could only be determined by finding the "Siren Queen" group and seeing the avatar.
Meng Yunzheng said, "I have already reported this matter to the headquarters, requesting their technical department to trace it."
Qi Quan nodded and stood up to leave.
Shao Jing suddenly called out to her.
"Wait, are you... a master? A master of... that kind of thing?"
She had heard the part about her avatar being tainted with ghostly aura.
She was very scared now.
Qi Quan turned to look at her.
Shao Jing said sheepishly, "I just wanted to ask if there are any protective talismans or something similar. I'd like to buy one."
"..."
Shen Hui immediately said, "The office has protective talismans. I'll get one for you later."
Such a small matter didn't need to trouble the senior.
The investigation office didn't have many other types of talismans, but they had plenty of the simplest protective talismans.
Many low-level investigators could draw them.
When the investigation office handled cases involving ordinary citizens, they often encountered people asking for protective talismans. Giving them out had become a habit.
They weren't worth much anyway.
"Senior," Meng Yunzheng walked Qi Quan to the entrance of the investigation office and asked before she got into the car, "The weekend is almost here again. Previously, you agreed to use the wetland ferocious ghost to train everyone weekly. Would Saturday or Sunday be convenient for you?"
Qi Quan said, "Saturday."
"Alright, then I'll come pick you up at the Lakeside Villa tomorrow morning."
Qi Quan: ?
So tomorrow was Saturday.
She didn't have a "regular job," so she didn't really keep track of weekdays and weekends.
"Alright."
Longjing City, the Yan Family.
Yan Huai was cultivating in his room when his phone suddenly received a message.
He glanced at it and summoned Yan Geng.
"Brother Huai, any instructions?" Yan Huai asked, "Do you know Yan Mao?"
"I know him," Yan Geng replied without hesitation. "Before I entered the inner circle, I was with him in the outer circle."
He was relatively fortunate, having been chosen to serve by the heir of the main family. As for Yan Mao, he seemed to have stayed in the outer circle all along, and Yan Geng hadn't paid much attention to his current situation.
Yan Huai: "Investigate his recent movements discreetly. Don't alert anyone."
"Anyone?" Yan Geng grimaced. "What matter in our family can be hidden from the Family Head?"
Yan Huai looked at him. "Do you know why you were chosen to enter the inner circle back then?"
"Why?"
"Because you're clever."
Yan Geng: "..."
He didn't need that kind of praise.
"Alright, I'll go back and think of a way."
Yan Huai closed his eyes again.
No matter what kind of circle, it has its own rules. Yan Geng had thrived in the outer circle back then, which naturally involved having channels for gathering information.
Since childhood, Yan Huai had been called a cultivation fanatic. He seemed to ignore family affairs and didn't interact much with others. But precisely because of this, he could see many things clearly from an outsider's perspective.
He cultivated diligently precisely to become a high-level Celestial Master early and gain more say.
When one's strength is low, no amount of talk is meaningful.
Yan Geng returned very quickly.
His channels were indeed efficient.
"Brother Huai, I found out. Yan Mao's movements aren't particularly special, but someone has seen him frequently going to the suburbs."
Yan Huai: "Hmm."
"However, one thing is strange. His aptitude used to be poor; he was only a second-level Celestial Master in his twenties. But in the last two years, he progressed rapidly, jumping straight to the fourth level, second rank, almost catching up to me."
Yan Huai: "Keep investigating."
"Got it."
Yan Mao was now the only clue. The Investigation Department and Yan Huai were cooperating, sharing information internally and externally, to see if they could catch the bigger fish behind him through him.
Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan returned home and said to Su Steward, "Ling Sheng expended some energy today. Make some dishes to replenish him."
Su Steward looked at Ling Sheng; his face was indeed somewhat pale. He smiled and said, "Ling Sheng has worked hard. I'll make something delicious for lunch."
Ling Sheng nodded in thanks.
He was much more polite than when he first arrived.
Su Rong's smile deepened, and he turned to go to the kitchen.
The Master had already told them about Ling Sheng's background.
For someone who had been imprisoned since birth, had never seen anyone other than Ding Ji, and had never been exposed to human society, becoming like this was already quite an achievement.
Qi Quan had Ling Sheng return to his room to rest, while she went to the computer room to write.
The person behind the scenes, trying to mess with her state of mind, attacked her villa while she was away. She had always believed in the principle of reciprocity.
After finishing a chapter and cultivating for a while, lunch was ready.
Xue Hong came out of the study and, seeing the dishes on the table, exclaimed in surprise, "The food is so lavish today!"
There were more dishes than usual.
Su Rong smiled and said, "The Master and Ling Sheng worked hard today, so I made a few extra dishes they like."
He had figured out everyone's tastes in the villa. When cooking, he paid attention to catering to everyone, ensuring each person tasted an equal amount of dishes suited to their palate every day.
Today, as Qi Quan and Ling Sheng had been "out on duty," he made two extra dishes for each of them.
Xue Hong smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
Su Steward was really considerate!
The family of four had a harmonious and pleasant meal.
Qi Quan asked, "How is your spiritual energy recovery?"
Ling Sheng nodded, indicating he had recovered.
"Good."
Qi Quan took him to a side room, previously used for "treating" people, and released the three souls from the peach wood talisman.
Following the same method, she had them draw lots.
The tall, burly Celestial Master was the lucky winner.
He was so scared his soul became unstable, kneeling on the ground and pleading for mercy repeatedly.
The system was disdainful: 【He looks big and strong, but who knew he'd be such a coward.】
Qi Quan waved her hand, putting the other two souls back, then shot out a stream of spiritual energy. The tall Celestial Master instantly fainted, his soul enveloped by the spiritual energy and placed on the bed in the treatment room.
Performing surgery on a living soul was somewhat more convenient than on a living person.
The flesh and blood of a living person posed a barrier, but a living soul did not.
The two of them easily saw the puppet seal branded on his soul. The seal had not been activated yet and was in a stable state.
The first time is unfamiliar, the second time is familiar.
Qi Quan effortlessly imprinted the compressed seal into the tall Celestial Master's spiritual platform, then performed a soul-searching technique, triggering the puppet seal. The puppet seal suddenly self-destructed, tightly wrapped by the compressed seal.
She withdrew her hand and looked at Ling Sheng.
Ling Sheng nodded and skillfully channeled his spiritual energy.
This surgery took less time than the previous one, finishing an hour earlier. After the surgery, Ling Sheng still had some energy left.
But a trace of fatigue still appeared on his face.
Considering he had performed two "surgeries" in one day, which indeed consumed a great deal of energy, Qi Quan said, "Go back and rest first."
Ling Sheng shook his head and pointed at the tall Celestial Master.
He wanted to stay and accompany Qi Quan during the interrogation.
Qi Quan respected his decision, but they had to deal with the puppet seal "bomb" first.
She casually set up an isolation array, threw the "bomb" inside, and it exploded with a boom. The energy released continuously within the array, causing the array barrier to become somewhat unstable.
Before long, it gradually dissipated.
The system was puzzled: 【Big shot, since you can use this array to isolate the explosion, why did you have someone take the bomb away last time?】
Qi Quan: 【Didn't think of it.】
【...】
Qi Quan: 【A loud explosion serves as a warning to others. At the Guiyuan Sect, Mr. Lu's bomb was a warning to them.】
【What about this morning at the Investigation Department?】
Qi Quan: 【Really didn't think of it.】
System: 【Alright.】
The big shot was a model of letting others handle things whenever possible, never doing it herself.
In the villa, she couldn't just throw a bomb, so she had no choice but to think of a way to isolate the explosion's energy.
Qi Quan ignored it further, woke up the tall Celestial Master, sat in a chair, and said, "Leniency for those who confess."
Tall Celestial Master: ???
Huh, something seemed different.
He shook his head and asked in surprise, "Just now... what happened?"
Qi Quan said calmly, "Your puppet seal is gone. You can speak freely now."
"Impossible!" The tall Celestial Master looked incredulous. "How could the puppet seal be removed?"
No one wanted to be a puppet.
They had tried many methods in private, but none could remove this thing. How could it be gone after he just took a nap?
Qi Quan: "Don't waste time."
Tall Celestial Master: "..."
He suddenly felt that the puppet seal was truly gone!
What kind of person was this woman? Terrifyingly formidable!
He said tremblingly, "W-what do you want me to say?"
Qi Quan: "The Bloodburst Pills, the organization you serve."
The tall Celestial Master said with a bitter face, "I don't know much either."
"You have two brothers. Someone will be willing to talk."
Tall Celestial Master: "..."
He wiped his face and tentatively said, "The Bloodburst Pills... their main ingredient is the blood of children around three years old."
No explosion! Really no explosion!
"Three-year-old children aren't too frail, their vitality is extremely vigorous, and they are easier to control, making abduction more convenient."
System: 【Ahhhhh! This infuriates me! So vicious! So cruel!】
Qi Quan's gaze darkened slightly. "The specific location of the Bloodburst Pill production site, the profit chain of the child trafficking, and the leader of your organization."
The tall, burly Taoist master was inherently timid and cowardly. Faced with Qi Quan's formidable presence, he had no intention of resisting. Unshackled by any puppet talisman, he answered the questions earnestly.
"The organization is called 'Tian Qi.' Although I am a seventh-level Taoist master, I don't even rank within the organization."
System: [Hmph, why not call it 'Qi Tian'?]
Qi Quan: [Perhaps it's taken from the phrase 'longevity equal to heaven.']
[So, this organization is very concerned with lifespan?]
[Just a guess.]
The tall Taoist master continued, "I'm just a hired thug, not a core member. I've never met the big boss. All I know is that one of the Bloodburst Pill production bases is in Longlin City. Whether there are others in different regions, I don't know, but I suspect there probably are."
Qi Quan: "The exact location of the Longlin City production base."
The tall Taoist master gave a place name.
"That eighth-level Taoist master, how much do you know about his ghost-raising activities?" Qi Quan asked.
The tall Taoist master shook his head, "I'm not too clear. He's considered quite powerful within the organization. I didn't dare pry into his affairs."
Qi Quan: "What are the defenses like at the Longlin City production base?"
"There are high-level protective formations. The guards are mostly sixth and seventh-level practitioners."
Qi Quan had recorded a video during the interrogation. She sent the video to Li Guoyan.
A moment later, Li Guoyan replied: [Received. Thank you for your hard work, Master.]
Qi Quan: [Seventh-level Taoist masters. The department is short-handed.]
[Li Guoyan: It's alright. The department has already reached a cooperation agreement with Master Yin, Master Wan, and the Head of the Fu Family.]
Qi Quan: ?
Although somewhat surprised, she didn't ask further.
Having the help of major sects and families was naturally good; no need for her to intervene.
She waved her hand, and the tall Taoist master returned to the peachwood plaque.
Longjing City Investigation Department.
Li Guoyan put down his phone and looked at the large screen in front of him.
On the screen, Master Yin, Master Wan, and Fu Jiuchong were clearly present.
He said, "You have all seen the video from the abandoned mountain village in Longhu City, where the bones of countless children are buried. Since you are willing to participate in this video conference, you must also be deeply affected."
Master Yin sighed, "To be honest, over twenty years ago, the metaphysical community did try to crack down on the cult organizations. But during that period, we lost many elite disciples and suffered heavy losses. The members of those cult organizations were utterly fearless of life and death. We simply couldn't manage it all."
The will was there, but not the strength.
Master Wan of the Xuanqing Sect also said, "That is indeed true."
Fu Jiuchong said solemnly, "Cracking down on cult practitioners and restoring peace to the metaphysical community is our inherent duty."
"Good. With such noble integrity from the three of you, I, Li, am deeply impressed." Li Guoyan smiled. "The department has located a cult stronghold, heavily guarded. I must ask the three of you to spare some time and lend the department a hand."
The three: ???
Li Guoyan said gravely, "According to reliable information, the cult stronghold is protected by high-level formations and guarded by seventh-level Taoist masters. Just one stronghold possesses such formidable combat power. If this continues, the metaphysical community will eventually be unable to resist the cult organizations. The principle that 'when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' is something I believe you all understand."
The three were slightly shocked.
It must be known that in today's metaphysical community, a seventh-level Taoist master can become the head of a sect or a family.
Yet for the cult organization, a seventh-level Taoist master is merely a watchdog.
These cult practitioners are far more terrifying than they were twenty years ago.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.
As leaders of their respective sects, Master Yin and Master Wan had always prioritized their sect's interests. If they allowed the cult practitioners to develop like this, their sects would inevitably be affected.
The two immediately made up their minds.
As for Fu Jiuchong, twenty years ago, Fu Jiuge had fearlessly investigated clues about the cult practitioners. Twenty years later, the Fu family would still not back down.
No matter what, he had to find the culprit and give an explanation to his sister and brother-in-law.
Master Wan suddenly asked, "What about the Yan Family Head and Master Yu? Why aren't they here? With them, our chances of success would be greater."
Li Guoyan: "..."
10 PM, late at night. "Diary of the Rich and Powerful" updated.
[Too numerous to record!
Simply too numerous to record!
Following the clues provided by the human trafficker, I found an abandoned mountain village.
The soil here is red, soaked with the blood of countless children.
They were only three years old, yet they are forever buried in this demonic realm flowing with endless sin. Upon their pale white bones are engraved the sneers and madness of the executioners.
The human heart is more terrifying than the demonic realm.
My mood is exceptionally heavy.
The joy from concluding my business trip has vanished completely.
There is too much evil in the world, and my power is still very limited.
I returned home and began researching a new type of talisman.
The senior who guided me into this field once said that the metaphysical community needs constant innovation to stay vibrant.
The current metaphysical community is stagnant and lifeless, which is why those wicked people and malevolent ghosts run rampant.
I attempted to draw a type of talisman specifically designed to break the vile tricks of demons and monsters.
They are skilled in a type of sorcery that controls the human mind.
What I need to do is create a talisman powerful enough to break this sorcery, to extract more valuable clues from the mouths of those malevolent ghosts.
Creating new talisman patterns is difficult, but I will not give up.
The senior said I have quite a talent for the talisman path.
One puppet is gone, but there will be another.
I will find a way.
Moving on from the unhappy topic, let's talk about some strange encounters from the past.
During my part-time jobs, I've met all sorts of people.
But the most unforgettable was a colleague.
She was a very pretty girl, straightforward, generous, innocent, and lovely.
During a break once, she sidled up to me and excitedly told me—
she had fallen in love!
I looked at her in surprise, checking her physiognomy, but there was no sign of the Red Luan Star moving.
Could it be that my skills were not refined enough?
I asked, "What is the other person like?"
She said, "I don't know."
I was confused.
How can you be in a relationship without knowing what the other person is like?
She explained to me, "We met online. I don't know what he looks like, nor what he does for a living, but I know he's a very good person."
I asked hesitantly, "Can I see your chat history?"
She very generously opened it.
I looked at the person's profile picture and was suddenly shocked.
That profile picture clearly radiated an aura of death!]
End of the new chapter.
[If you see me, tell me to go prepare my lessons: Online dating is risky! You never know if it's a person or a ghost on the other end of the internet. Sisters, never casually engage in online dating, beware of being deceived! P.S.: The executioners who murdered those children all deserve the death penalty!]
[Dying of laughter: Heavy at the front, silly at the back. The author can do it.]
[Pythagorean theorem abc: It's not exactly silly. If it's based on a true story, it's actually quite terrifying.]
[Really desperate for something to read: Finally updated! Author is the best!]
A residence in the suburbs of the capital.
A man in a wheelchair put down his phone, his brows furrowed.
He asked the steward, "What she mentioned in the text, is she referring to breaking the Puppet Talisman?"
The steward smiled, "How could there be a method to break the Puppet Talisman? She hasn't innovated it yet, has she?"
"That's true." The man looked at the jade talisman on the table. "Thinking back, that person was hailed as a top genius in talisman making. Hah, so what if he was a top genius? In the end, wasn't he still..."
The steward did not dare to answer.
"Am I truly inferior to him?" The man clenched his carving knife, asking in a low, somber voice.
The steward hurriedly replied, "Master, your talisman-crafting skill is the pinnacle of the mystic arts. No one surpasses you."
The man gave a low, soft laugh.
Inventing a new talisman? It was nothing but a fool's dream.
