The man's request was not excessive in the slightest.
Li Guoyan contacted Fu Jiuchong.
After being repelled by the ninth-level formation during his last trip to Longlin City, Fu Jiuchong was extremely unwilling to accept defeat. Upon returning home, he had thrown himself into relentless cultivation.
When he received Li Guoyan's call, his voice was calm, yet tinged with a suppressed intensity.
Li Guoyan said, "Are you free for a video call, Mr. Fu?"
"A video call?" Fu Jiuchong was puzzled. "A video conference?"
"A private video call," Li Guoyan said with a laugh.
Fu Jiuchong: ?
He hung up the phone, went to his study, and turned on the screen projector.
Li Guoyan happened to send a video invitation at that moment.
He pressed accept.
The communication tools of the Investigation Department were monitored and protected by the technical division regardless of the destination, so there was no need to worry about the network expert from the Cultivator organization.
Fu Jiuchong looked at the screen, his voice low. "What matter brings you to call me, Director Li?"
"Brother Fu, let me show you someone."
Li Guoyan shifted to the side, revealing a male spirit with handsome, refined features standing behind him.
"Big brother, it's me," Xie Lanzhou said, his eyes slightly red.
Fu Jiuchong was stunned.
His mind went blank with shock. He stared dumbfounded at Xie Lanzhou, unable to speak for a long while.
"Big brother?"
Fu Jiuchong suddenly snapped back to reality. He abruptly stood up and quickly left the study.
Xie Lanzhou: ?
Was his big brother so unwilling to see him?
Li Guoyan said with a smile, "He probably went to fetch your wife."
Xie Lanzhou understood. His solidified spirit form nearly wavered. His eyes reddened as he stared intently at the screen, his fists clenching involuntarily.
The wait was agonizing.
Though only five minutes had passed, it felt like an eternity, seemingly longer than the previous twenty years.
Finally, there was movement from the video—the sound of a door opening and closing.
Xie Lanzhou couldn't help but step forward, wanting to be closer to the screen.
A figure slowly appeared in the video.
A woman with striking features sat in a wheelchair, asking Fu Jiuchong with a gentle smile, "What are you bringing me here for so late?"
Her body had not yet fully recovered, confining her to the wheelchair.
Fu Jiuchong's voice was extremely hoarse. "Look up, look ahead."
"What's ahead—"
Fu Jiuge subconsciously looked up and froze abruptly.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She instinctively reached to turn the wheelchair's wheels, wanting to move closer.
Xie Lanzhou had already mentally prepared himself and regained his composure relatively quickly.
He gazed quietly at Fu Jiuge for a long moment before saying in a raspy voice, "Jiuge, I'm back. I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
Hearing the familiar voice, Fu Jiuge's eyes instantly reddened. Tears welled up, clinging to her lashes. "You are..." she choked out.
As a celestial master, she could naturally tell the difference between a spirit form and a living person.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Xie Lanzhou reassured her with a smile. "You must focus on recovering your health. Once this matter is settled, I'll come back to see you."
Before the Cultivator organization was destroyed, news of his return absolutely could not be leaked. Visiting the Fu family at this time would be too risky.
Fu Jiuge struggled to suppress her emotions, her hands tightly clasped together. "Okay," she said with a smile.
There weren't many overly sentimental words between them. Just a few brief phrases were enough for them to understand each other's feelings.
The video call ended.
Li Guoyan asked, "How should Master Xie be accommodated next?"
"I..." Xie Lanzhou faltered.
For twenty years, he had been solely focused on gathering clues. Suddenly relieved of that burden, he felt somewhat lost and at a loss.
The two men stared at each other, one wide-eyed, the other bewildered.
Li Guoyan turned to ask Qi Quan, "Do you have any suggestions, Master?"
[He can stay at the department and draw talismans!] The system excitedly... offered its suggestion.
Qi Quan followed its line of thought and said, "Since Master Xie is proficient in the art of talismans, why not have him stay at the Investigation Department to draw them?"
Based on her output of ten talismans per month, the department's supply was far from sufficient.
Li Guoyan's eyes lit up.
That's right! Xie Lanzhou was a talisman genius renowned throughout the celestial master community in his day!
Xie Lanzhou also found it feasible.
The matter was settled.
"Wait," Xie Lanzhou suddenly called out to Qi Quan and Ling Sheng.
He pulled out a peace talisman folded into a star shape and offered it to Ling Sheng.
"I know you don't lack for these things, but I want to give this to you. I hope you'll accept it."
The situation here was different from the Fu family.
Since Ling Sheng was the Chief Physician of the Investigation Department, the department surely had his photo. Anyone who had seen both Fu Jiuge and Ling Sheng would know of Ling Sheng's connection to the Fu family.
As the director, Li Guoyan was naturally fully aware.
But since Qi Quan had always concealed Ling Sheng's identity, and the Fu family had not disclosed that Fu Jiuge had given birth, Li Guoyan simply acted as if he knew nothing.
Xie Lanzhou could easily deduce this situation.
That's why he dared to give Ling Sheng the peace talisman in Li Guoyan's presence.
But Fu Jiuge did not dare.
The Fu household had many people and prying eyes. Even if she recognized Ling Sheng, she couldn't reveal anything.
Ling Sheng, having never experienced such a situation, stood frozen in place.
Although he had received "education," before entering the Lakeside Villa, he had never interacted with others and had rarely participated in normal social activities.
He didn't know whether he should accept it, nor what kind of reaction he should have.
Thinking of Ling Sheng's nineteen years of confinement, Xie Lanzhou felt a pang of heartache. He directly pressed the little star into Ling Sheng's hand, his voice low and hoarse. "If you don't like it, you can tear it up, throw it away... anything is fine."
Ling Sheng stared blankly at the star resting in his palm.
It felt light, yet also seemed very heavy.
The young man blinked and instinctively placed the little star into his pocket.
Xie Lanzhou smiled, exceptionally happy.
"Master, your accommodations have been arranged. They're very close by. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me," Li Guoyan said respectfully.
Qi Quan nodded.
Li Guoyan saw her to the door, watched her get into the car, and then returned to the Investigation Department.
The number of memory-retaining talismans provided by Xie Lanzhou was enormous. He needed to mobilize the entire department to work through the night to locate the Cultivator organization's hideouts.
Arriving at the temporary residence, Shen Hui and Tang Mian moved the luggage while Qi Quan entered her room to cultivate.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The lock turned, and Ling Sheng walked in, holding a star, his expression somewhat bewildered.
Qi Quan asked, "What's wrong?"
The young man half-knelt beside the bed, lowered his head, and typed: [Should I have taken it?]
"Why shouldn't you have?" Qi Quan asked.
[I don't know.]
He hung his head. With his almost blank social experience, he simply couldn't arrive at an answer.
Qi Quan ruffled his hair and said gently, "Don't overthink it. In matters like these, just follow your natural instincts."
Ling Sheng nodded, seeming to understand, yet not fully.
He leaned against Qi Quan's knee and continued typing: [Why was it folded into a star?]
Qi Quan: ?
How would she know?
Shouldn't he ask Xie Lanzhou that?
She patted the young man's head and said, "I need to start cultivating. You should go back to your room for now."
Ling Sheng paused, raised his head to look at her, his eyes seeming to hold a trace of... disappointment?
Huh? Was his curiosity that strong?
Qi Quan simply closed her eyes, pretending not to see.
Ling Sheng: ...
He had no choice but to get up and leave the room.
Manor in the Beijing suburbs.
...
The steward, having received the report from an attendant, couldn't help but show surprise. "Is what you're saying true? How is that possible?"
"I didn't believe it at first either," the attendant said, his face scrunched up. "But all those injured inspectors returned to the Celestial Master Association completely unharmed, acting as if nothing was wrong. They didn't seem like people whose meridians had been damaged at all."
The steward: "..."
He still couldn't believe it, muttering to himself, "The family head has searched for so many years for a method to heal damaged meridians, with no success to this day. And now, all those inspectors were cured overnight? How is that possible?"
Having followed Yan Fengqing for so many years, his understanding was the deepest.
Damaged meridians were fundamentally incurable!
"Are you sure their cultivation hasn't regressed? They can wield spiritual energy normally?"
"Absolutely true!" The servant would stake his head on it.
The steward was frustrated.
They had previously contacted their mole within the Heavenly Master Association, deliberately muddying the waters to create conflict between the Heavenly Masters and the Inspection Team, resulting in the team members' meridians being damaged.
With so many inspectors injured across the country, the authorities couldn't possibly ignore it.
The family head would then conveniently provide a prescription that could "alleviate the symptoms," putting the Investigation Department in their debt, and many things would fall into place.
But now?
Those inspectors were all completely healed!
His brows were tightly knitted. "Investigate! Find out what exactly happened!"
The servant said, "No need to investigate. They just went to the Longjiang City Investigation Department and came out cured."
"..."
The steward simply didn't believe it.
"Were there any other unusual occurrences that day?"
"Nothing particularly special. That Senior Qi Quan went to the Investigation Department, didn't stay long, and left," the servant reported.
The steward: "..."
Why is it her again!
He had a vague feeling that the inspectors' recovery was inextricably linked to Qi Quan.
But what method did she use?
If there truly was a method in this world to heal damaged meridians, why would the family head have suffered for so many years?
Early the next morning, just after Qi Quan got up, she received a call from Li Guoyan.
The Investigation Department had spent the entire night integrating clear leads from those memory-retention talismans, marking them one by one on a map.
Xie Lanzhou had spent twenty years finding nearly thirty hideouts of the Cultivator of Evil Paths organizations.
He was a ghost. These organizations were full of high-level Heavenly Masters. His actions were extremely risky; the slightest misstep could lead to his soul scattering.
Li Guoyan held him in the highest esteem.
"Grandmaster, please come over. We need to discuss the plan to destroy these Cultivator of Evil Paths hideouts."
Qi Quan: "Alright."
"Also, we originally planned to send the injured to Longjiang City. However, Physician Qi is currently in Longjing. There's one severely injured patient, and we'd like to ask Physician Qi for a consultation."
Qi Quan chuckled: "You could have texted him directly about that."
"I sent him a message. He didn't reply."
Qi Quan paused for a moment, then walked out of her room.
The Investigation Department had arranged a homestay for them, fully equipped with all facilities.
Ling Sheng was in the kitchen making breakfast.
The young man wore a loose sweater, an apron tied around his waist, holding a spatula as he fried eggs.
Qi Quan smiled and said into the phone, "Director Li, I'll get back to you shortly."
"Alright."
Hearing movement behind him, Ling Sheng turned to look at her. He scooped the fried egg out of the pan onto a plate, pairing it with vegetable congee and pickles—a simple yet flavorful breakfast.
"Smells amazing!" Shen Hui followed the aroma, saying to Tang Mian beside him, "You haven't tasted our Chief Physician's cooking yet, have you?"
Tang Mian: "..."
Just because he gets more opportunities to travel on assignments with the senior than she does, what's there to boast about?
Shen Hui didn't want to offend her too much and quickly added, "Actually, it's because your cultivation is higher than mine. The department needs you more to handle cases. That's why Director Meng let me drive. Your driving skills are on par with mine."
"Do I need to thank you for the compliment?" Tang Mian shot him a sidelong glance.
Shen Hui: "Uh, up to you."
"..."
After the meal, Shen Hui rushed to wash the dishes. Ling Sheng didn't refuse.
Qi Quan said, "Director Li sent you a message."
The young man opened his phone.
[Li Guoyan: A comrade had his dantian damaged three years ago. Wondering if it can be treated?]
Ling Sheng thought for a moment and replied: [Will try.]
His current medical notes were filled with cases concerning meridians. He hadn't yet treated a patient with dantian damage.
[Li Guoyan: Good. I'll have him brought to the Investigation Department.]
Ling Sheng put down his phone and looked at Qi Quan.
"Once Shen Hui finishes washing up, we'll head to the Investigation Department," Qi Quan said.
The lights at the Investigation Department had been on all night.
Yet, all the investigators involved in the case were still energetic and alert.
When Qi Quan stepped into the department, she sensed an undercurrent of excitement.
It seemed things were progressing quite smoothly.
Li Guoyan smiled upon seeing them.
"Grandmaster, let's go to the conference room to discuss. Physician Qi, the injured patient in the infirmary will be troubling you."
Ling Sheng was momentarily taken aback, perhaps because they would be separating. He looked at Qi Quan somewhat reluctantly.
The latter patted his shoulder. "Looking forward to your success."
The young man's lips immediately curved into a smile, his eyes filled with determination. He followed another investigator's guidance towards the infirmary.
Qi Quan and Li Guoyan turned and entered the conference room.
Inside, Di Meng, Ning Zhi, and several other elites were present. They stood straight, and upon seeing the two enter, their expressions held a hint of excitement.
Li Guoyan: "Everyone, sit."
They all took their seats.
A map suddenly appeared before Qi Quan. Nearly thirty hideouts were marked on it with a red marker, scattered across the country. Just looking at this map was enough to send chills down one's spine.
[They're all worse than beasts!] The system cursed angrily.
Qi Quan glanced over the map and asked, "How does Director Li plan to destroy these hideouts?"
"The hideouts in Longlin City and Longtang City both had ninth-grade protective arrays. Presumably, the other hideouts also have arrays as obstacles." Li Guoyan paused and asked, "Can Grandmaster's composite talismans shatter a ninth-grade array?"
Composite sword talismans are difficult to make, requiring a Heavenly Master proficient in both talisman and sword arts. To shatter a ninth-grade array in one strike, one must reach the ninth grade in both talisman craft and swordsmanship.
Qi Quan's skills in talismans and swordsmanship could indeed reach the ninth grade. However, there is energy loss during the creation of composite talismans, so they might not necessarily shatter a ninth-grade array in one go.
She considered carefully and said, "Haven't tried it. But if once isn't enough, we can try twice. If twice isn't enough, three times."
As long as the array's energy is depleted and not replenished in time, a ninth-grade array ceases to be a major threat.
"Good!" Li Guoyan had been waiting for these words. He said excitedly, "I plan to set up arrays capable of holding composite talismans at Investigation Departments across the country. Then, at an opportune moment, activate all the composite talismans simultaneously, catching them completely off guard!"
Qi Quan: "That's feasible."
However, with so many locations, who would set up the arrays?
Li Guoyan understood her unspoken question and said, "Among the investigators, there are promising talents studying array formations. I wonder if they can learn this?"
Qi Quan nodded.
That array was merely to provide energy support for the composite talisman. As long as the energy was sufficient, it could activate the sword light inscribed on the talisman paper. It wasn't too complex, didn't require profound mastery of array formations, and could also ignore grade limitations.
Everyone present felt a surge of excitement.
If arrays could be established across the country, combined with the power of composite talismans, there was great hope of simultaneously breaking the arrays protecting the Cultivator of Evil Paths hideouts.
Furthermore, not all hideouts had ninth-grade arrays.
During his investigation, Xie Lanzhou had also discovered arrays of varying grades at different hideouts. Apart from large-scale ones like in Longlin City, the smaller hideouts only had arrays around the fifth, sixth, or seventh grade, and the guarding forces weren't overwhelmingly strong.
Li Guoyan smiled and said, "The specific arrangements for the study still need to be discussed. But, Master, we'll have to trouble you from now on."
Qi Quan readily agreed.
The person behind this had a grudge against her; she was also seeking justice for herself.
"By the way," Li Guoyan suddenly added, "The department took Yan Fengqing's blood for testing and indeed discovered conditions different from ordinary people. The technical team is now developing detection equipment based on these anomalies."
Qi Quan asked, "Approximately how long?"
"A conservative estimate, half a month," Li Guoyan said. "Equipment for detecting puppet talismans is also under development."
Once the authorities got serious, their efficiency was remarkably high.
Qi Quan replied, "Half a month is sufficient for learning the formation."
"That's excellent!"
Everyone present showed expressions of "seeing the dawn."
Li Guoyan cleared his throat lightly, reined in his smile, and said, "Twenty days from now, the Yan family will hold a clan competition. All Tian Masters, whether from the main family or branch families, can participate as long as their cultivation level meets the standard."
"Director Li, do you mean we temporarily release Yan Fengqing?" Di Meng's mind worked quickly.
Ning Zhi followed his train of thought, "Since we don't have concrete evidence to prove his guilt yet, we release him first to let his guard down?"
"Yes, without concrete evidence, we can't hold him for long," Li Guoyan said. "The Yan family has a rule: if a particular branch achieves excellent results in the internal clan competition, they can obtain more cultivation resources, and their status rises accordingly."
Yan Fengqing appeared handsome and elegant on the surface, but in reality, he was a man consumed by lust for power.
Unwilling to accept losing the position of family head years ago due to meridian damage, he had been "biding his time" all these years and would absolutely not want to miss the clan competition opportunity.
With the aid of the Enlightenment Pills, the disciples under his command probably already possessed considerable combat strength.
As long as he held enough power and tied the entire family to the same chain of interests, he would be invincible within the clan.
But—
What good would it do if the disciples who took the Enlightenment Pills won first place?
In the medical room.
A gaunt man lay on the hospital bed.
He was once a talented investigator, a promising seedling secretly cultivated by the authorities, but his dantian was injured during a secret mission three years ago. He had suffered excruciating pain, unable to sleep day or night.
However, his will was strong. Seeing Ling Sheng, he even managed a smile, his voice very gentle.
"Doctor, thank you for being willing to treat me. I know it's very difficult to cure. The Mystic Arts world also has no method to completely heal it. Please just do your best; don't feel burdened."
The doctor who treated him three years ago cried because they couldn't cure him, repeatedly apologizing.
He truly didn't blame them at all; meridian damage inevitably led to this outcome.
...
Ling Sheng's expression remained unchanged as he pressed a button.
"Please close your eyes."
The injured man: ???
With a strange feeling, he complied and closed his eyes.
Ling Sheng's right hand hovered above his dantian. Gentle spiritual power slowly probed in, examining the damage around the dantian.
He had already prepared a treatment plan before coming.
The dantian is where a cultivator stores spiritual power, which is different from the meridians.
For cultivators below the Human Sovereign Realm, only the dantian can store spiritual power; meridians are merely conduits for spiritual power to circulate.
Damage to the dantian, preventing effective storage of spiritual power, is an extremely heavy blow for a cultivator.
Dantian damage is caused by external force invasion.
The enemy's spiritual power not only destroys the dantian's storage function but also lingers like a persistent bone-deep ulcer, constantly churning inside the dantian, causing unbearable agony.
That heterogeneous spiritual power is different from one's own.
One's own spiritual power is refined by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Cultivators use certain techniques to "lock" this spiritual energy within the dantian. Once the dantian is damaged, the heaven and earth spiritual energy scatters and escapes.
An outsider's spiritual power is different; once forced in, it won't retreat on its own and must be expelled by external force.
What Ling Sheng needed to do was first expel this spiritual power, then use his own spiritual power to repair the damaged dantian.
Expelling the spiritual power was effortless for him.
In just a moment, his spiritual power enveloped the third-party spiritual power and moved it out of the injured man's dantian. Once separated from the dantian, the spiritual power instantly dissipated into the air.
The injured man's eyes snapped open, his face filled with shock.
What was going on?!
The thing that had tormented him for three years was just gone like that?
It had only been a few minutes!
Was he dreaming again?
"Doctor, is... is the thing in my dantian really gone?" he asked incredulously.
Even as he asked, he already mostly believed it.
Because in the past three years, he had never felt so comfortable and at ease.
Without the churning of the heterogeneous spiritual power, he felt like a new person.
Ling Sheng pressed a button.
"Please be quiet."
Pressed another.
"Please close your eyes."
The injured man: "..."
He closed his eyes again, filled with excitement.
Spiritual power probed into the dantian once more.
After three years of torment, the dantian damage was quite severe. Gentle, water-like spiritual power continuously nourished the injured area. Like a long drought meeting sweet rain, the dantian's storage function gradually recovered.
The injured man subconsciously absorbed a bit of spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy transformed into spiritual power and entered the dantian. That spiritual power seemed to greatly favor Ling Sheng's spiritual power, circling around it playfully, unwilling to settle down.
The injured man was so moved he almost cried.
Thinking he would suffer for a lifetime, who could have imagined he would be cured just like that!
Before coming, he was skeptical. Now, he just wanted to say, the great kindness and virtue of the divine doctor is beyond repayment!
The repair treatment took a long time. By the time Qi Quan came out of the meeting, the medical room door was still closed.
Xie Lanzhou quietly came over and asked, "I saw Ling Sheng go into the medical room earlier, and he hasn't come out yet. What's wrong with him?"
"You'll know when he comes out," Li Guoyan said with a smile.
A moment later, the medical room door opened.
Ling Sheng came out holding the electronic player. Seeing Qi Quan waiting for him outside, his eyes immediately curved as he approached her.
"All cured?" Qi Quan asked with a smile.
The young man nodded and put the player back into his bag.
...
Li Guoyan couldn't help but praise greatly, "Doctor Qi's medical skills are extraordinary."
"Cured what?" Xie Lanzhou leaned over to ask.
As soon as he finished speaking, a man ran out from the medical room, his gaunt face full of gratitude.
"Thank you, Divine Doctor! Thank you, Divine Doctor!" He then turned to Li Guoyan, "Thank you, Director Li, for giving me this opportunity!"
Li Guoyan patted his shoulder and said with relief, "You've suffered these past years. Now that you're healed, you can find a stable job and live a good life."
The man suddenly paused, tears welling in his eyes, "Director Li, you don't want me anymore?"
Li Guoyan smiled, "How could we not want you? You've endured three years of hardship. Don't you really want to go enjoy life?"
"Director Li, saying I don't want to would be a lie," the man wiped his face. "But I understand clearly, as long as the evil cultivators aren't eradicated, none of us will have peaceful days."
He straightened his back and said firmly, "Director Li, I request to return to the team!"
Li Guoyan's eyes reddened slightly. He nodded and said with emotion, "Good. First, recuperate well. Once you pass the physical exam standards, we'll discuss returning to the team."
The man nodded vigorously, then said, "Director Li, everyone hopes to be able to return to the team."
Li Guoyan said solemnly, "Don't worry, I will arrange it."
"Thank you, Director Li! Thank you, Divine Doctor!"
The man left, his heart filled with hope.
"What exactly is the treatment?" Xie Lanzhou had a vague suspicion in his mind but dared not dwell on it too much.
Previously, when he heard that Ling Sheng was working as a physician at the Investigation Department, he assumed it was just as an ordinary doctor. His mind had been too chaotic to think deeply about it. It was only after seeing the man's excited and thrilled demeanor just now that he sensed something was off.
Given that Ling Sheng had been trapped for nineteen years, and given that Ling Sheng was only nineteen years old now, he simply hadn't had the time to obtain a conventional medical practitioner's license. So how could he possibly be a physician at the Investigation Department?
Therefore, the only way one could be specially recruited by the Investigation Department as a physician was by mastering the esoteric medical arts of the mystical path.
This was the Medical Dao!
Xie Lanzhou's expression was tense as he waited for Li Guoyan's answer.
"The injured man from earlier had suffered severe damage to his dantian," Li Guoyan did not hide it from him.
Xie Lanzhou: !!!
He looked at Ling Sheng in astonishment, then at Qi Quan.
In that instant, he felt immensely grateful to Qi Quan.
She had not only saved Ling Sheng's life but also taught him how to establish himself in this world.
"Senior, I am truly grateful to you," he said sincerely.
Qi Quan smiled. "He has a natural talent for it."
"You all talk, I need to head to the interrogation room," Li Guoyan bid farewell and left.
After he left, Xie Lanzhou wanted to express his gratitude again, but Qi Quan cut him off with one sentence.
"Mr. Xie, I need your help drawing talismans."
Xie Lanzhou: "What kind of talisman? I'll draw it!"
"Combined Talismans."
Xie Lanzhou: "..."
"I've heard that Mr. Xie was not only a top genius in the Talisman Dao in his time but also highly accomplished in the Sword Dao."
Xie Lanzhou said with shame, "That was just others giving me face. To be honest, I've tried Combined Talismans before and never succeeded once."
"I will teach you the principles. Combined Talismans below the ninth level will be entrusted to you."
She had heard that Xie Lanzhou could create talismans beyond his level back in the day.
He is currently at the eighth level, so creating a ninth-level talisman shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Xie Lanzhou's eyes burned with intensity. "Senior... you actually created Combined Talismans?!"
"Do you want to learn?"
"Yes!"
So, the two people and one ghost found an empty lounge.
Qi Quan taught Xie Lanzhou how to draw talismans, while Ling Sheng sat close beside her, drawing spirit talismans.
No matter the time, spirit talismans were always a scarce resource.
Ling Sheng... whenever he had time, he never forgot to make spirit talismans. At home, he carved jade talismans. When outside and carving jade was inconvenient, he would draw paper talismans.
When Xie Lanzhou finished learning the principles and looked up, he saw a large stack of spirit talismans already piled on the table.
Ling Sheng was still diligently drawing, head down.
Xie Lanzhou: "..."
His feelings were... complex and hard to describe.
He focused his mind and, based on the principles Qi Quan had just taught him, began to draw.
The two were absorbed in drawing talismans, so Qi Quan didn't want to disturb them and sat to the side to cultivate.
Interrogation Room.
Seeing Li Guoyan walk in, Yan Fengqing's gloomy face couldn't help but reveal a trace of mockery and triumph.
"Has Director Li come to his senses?"
Li Guoyan sat across from him and asked in a deep voice, "Come to my senses about what?"
"Actually, I bear no ill will towards the Investigation Department. I also hold you in high esteem. It pains me to think that those young investigators have to suffer a lifetime of agony just because of a minor conflict."
Li Guoyan asked with a smile, "So, are you planning to generously provide the prescription?"
"You've investigated up to now and still haven't found enough evidence to convict me. For every extra day you detain me, those inspectors suffer for another day."
Li Guoyan hit the nail on the head: "You've been drinking that medicine for so many years, aren't you still in pain?"
"..."
Yan Fengqing chuckled coldly. "Li Guoyan, if you can't find evidence, you can't hold me for much longer. We can still discuss terms now. Once I'm out..."
"I'll release you right now," Li Guoyan interrupted him, his expression calm. "You are free to go."
The interrogator beside him stood up and unlocked the Spirit-Restraining Chair for Yan Fengqing.
Yan Fengqing: ?
He tilted his head, scrutinizing Li Guoyan's expression but couldn't read anything.
Could it really be that they have no choice but to release him due to lack of evidence?
The interrogator returned his phone to him.
"This is your phone. You can now notify your family to pick you up."
Yan Fengqing was genuinely puzzled.
He asked, "You don't seem to have asked me for the prescription."
"Mm."
"You're not going to do anything about those inspectors?"
Li Guoyan said with a stern face, "That's no concern of yours, Mr. Yan. Please leave."
Yan Fengqing got into his wheelchair, left the interrogation room, and dialed his steward's number.
"Come pick me up."
Soon, the steward drove to fetch him.
After getting in the car, Yan Fengqing asked, "Is the courtyard repaired?"
"Patriarch, it has been repaired," the steward replied respectfully. "Everything else has also been handled properly."
"Mm."
"Patriarch, there's one strange thing."
"What is it?"
The steward said cautiously, "All those injured inspectors have completely recovered in just a day and a night."
"Recovered... what do you mean?" Yan Fengqing asked with difficulty.
The steward swallowed. "They have already returned to the Heavenly Master Association."
The meaning of this statement was very clear.
Only if their cultivation was unaffected could they continue serving as inspectors.
Yan Fengqing flatly denied it: "Impossible."
The steward thought to himself: Sigh, ever since Qi Quan appeared out of nowhere, 'impossible' has become the patriarch's catchphrase.
He replied, "This is the information sent back by our undercover agents. It's absolutely true."
"Impossible!" Yan Fengqing suddenly pounded his legs fiercely, his eyes turning red. "I don't believe it!"
How could he believe this?
He had endured over twenty years of pain, drinking medicine day after day like a cripple, just to maintain the cultivation level of a seventh-level Heavenly Master at best.
And now he was being told that all the injured inspectors had completely recovered?
Why! On what grounds!
It's not fair!
To placate him, the steward couldn't help but fabricate a theory: "Patriarch, do you think it's possible that the inspectors who returned were actually placed under an illusion spell, making others think they are the same people as before?"
"Why don't you just say plastic surgery?" Yan Fengqing asked darkly.
The steward: "..."
Illusion spells have spiritual energy fluctuations that are easily detected by instruments.
He knew this idea was far-fetched, but he couldn't think of any other possibility.
Yan Fengqing suddenly said, "There is another possibility."
"What?"
"A Medical Cultivator."
The steward was shocked: "A Medical Cultivator? Hasn't that been lost for ages? It's not like no one in the mystical community has tried to practice it, but none had good results. Does the Investigation Department have a Medical Cultivator?"
He paused, then said in horror, "Or... is Qi Quan also a Medical Cultivator?"
Yan Fengqing: "..."
He recalled Li Guoyan's expression in the interrogation room just now.
When he mentioned the prescription, Li Guoyan didn't show even a flicker of reaction. At the time, he thought the authorities were going to abandon those inspectors. Who would have guessed that Li Guoyan was holding such a good card up his sleeve.
"Hah, truly a person of great fortune," Yan Fengqing murmured. "But so what? Once that one succeeds in advancing, there will be no match left in this world."
Soon.
The sky of the mystical community is about to change.
Investigation Department.
Xie Lanzhou truly lived up to being a genius of the Talisman Dao in his time. Although not as prodigiously talented as Qi Quan, with a master like her teaching him, he quickly grasped the essence of Combined Talismans and became utterly absorbed in drawing them, unable to extricate himself.
Seeing him like this, Qi Quan took Ling Sheng back to their accommodation.
[Big shot, your readers are all urging for an update. How about you post a chapter tonight?] the system said weakly.
Qi Quan: [Okay.]
[It's not good to stay on hiatus for too long... huh? What did you just say? Did I hear that right?]
The guesthouse was equipped with a computer.
Qi Quan sat in front of the computer, opened a document, and started typing away.
System: Ah! The feeling of successfully getting an update is just too wonderful!
At 10 PM, readers habitually clicked into "Diary of a Wealthy Family."
They jolted upright from their sickbeds.
Oh my god! Author White Water actually updated!
[I have some understanding of talisman patterns.
But I've never seen a talisman pattern like this before. I have a vague sense that it seems to contain some kind of mental suggestion.
What exactly does the person who drew this talisman pattern want?
To take pleasure in seducing others?
Of course, I'm just an ordinary, unremarkable office worker.
After my colleague blocked that person and wouldn't step into the trap again, I stopped paying attention to this matter.
Who would have thought that not long after, I would encounter cases of "suicide for love" driven by madness.
Not just one case, but several.
I saw with my own eyes people caught in love traps, losing their self-awareness and reason. Their dignity and even their lives were tightly controlled by another person.
In order to get a response, they were willing to gamble with their very lives.
How utterly insane.
I told my colleague about these things.
She was still shaken with fear.
She thanked me for warning her early, helping her escape that terrifying vortex.
I said to her, "Don't believe in online romance anymore. If you see any strange talisman patterns, it's best not to pay attention to them either. Preserving your life is the most important thing."
She firmly promised she would never be fooled again.
Life just went on...
peacefully and uneventfully.
But even in ordinary days, some ripples always appear.
Compared to my first twenty-two years, my life now has become exceptionally thrilling and dangerous.
No, to be accurate, my fate was arranged by others from the moment I was born.
They used what they thought were subtle methods to suppress me, trying to push me into the dust, trying to make me lose the courage to live.
Unfortunately, after all these years of their efforts, I'm still alive in this world.
Finally—
They couldn't hold back any longer and made their move.
Truly a grand gesture, with experts as numerous as clouds.
Since entering this world, I've rarely engaged in fights and killings. I prefer peaceful resolutions.
Excessive greed can make people lose their humanity.
I don't really like such people, and I imagine the Heavenly Dao doesn't either.
I hope there won't be any more of these violent conflicts in the future.
I prefer a harmonious and stable life.]
End of the new chapter.
[If you see me, tell me to go prepare my lessons: I also prefer a peaceful and warm life! I hope the author won't be so busy like this in the future!]
[Dying of Laughter: What kind of talisman pattern? I think I saw a profile picture with a talisman pattern design the other day.]
[Malantianhua Thirty-One: You need to be careful!]
[Pythagorean Theorem abc: Sis, you really need to be careful!]
[Book Famine is Deadly: The things the author repeatedly mentions must be important, Dying of Laughter, you really must not take this lightly!]
[Dying of Laughter: I only saw it on someone else's phone, I'm not sure if it's the same one.]
[Today Auspicious: Those who don't listen to the master will suffer! One hundred depth charges!]
[Today Profitable: How dare someone harm the master! Scram! One hundred depth charges!]
[Auspicious and Profitable: Isn't creating a harmonious society together good enough? Must they stir up trouble? Those who harm others will eventually bring about their own destruction! One hundred depth charges!]
Ordinary readers couldn't discern the deeper meaning in the text, but those in the know grasped something.
Li Guoyan put down his phone and said with a smile, "Master is issuing a challenge."
"Since Senior has issued a challenge, she must have a plan in mind," Di Meng replied. "Once all the detection devices are developed, we'll definitely be able to expose those people!"
Li Guoyan's phone suddenly buzzed.
He looked down and couldn't help but pause.
[Master Qi: Check the details of the user 'Dying of Laughter'.]
He immediately instructed Di Meng to notify the technical department.
After Di Meng relayed the order, he didn't forget to go to the comment section to find the comment by 'Dying of Laughter'.
Senior is indeed sharp. This is very likely a clue!
Huh? Wait a minute.
Does Senior also read the comment section after posting a new chapter?
Inside the guesthouse, Qi Quan sent the message to Li Guoyan and said to the system: [If this really leads to a clue, I'll credit you with the merit.]
System: [Hehe, as a writer's system, helping the host monitor the comment section is my duty!]
Qi Quan smiled slightly and continued her cultivation.
