Zhang Dongze sat behind a luxurious desk, holding a sharp shaving knife as he trimmed his mustache. "I don't particularly like trimming my beard because it's cumbersome. But for elegance, this is a price I'm willing to pay," Zhang Dongze smiled, observing him thoughtfully: "It seems you've passed the screening at Taiyi Gate." Indeed, the Chief knew precisely why Taiyi Gate had come looking for him—without any prior hint, one would feel they were losing him. Zhang Yuanqing said casually: "Do you also know about the Demon King?" "Among official bodies, evil factions, civilian groups, and independent practitioners, countless high-level Realm Walkers have perished at the hands of the Demon King—their reputation is well-established," Li Dongze replied while attentively shaving his beard. "Yet such a figure still feels distant to us; it's like an elephant may accidentally trample ants, but wouldn't deliberately step on them." The Demon King isn’t exactly a good person—how does Bing Brother even connect with someone so formidable? Zhang Yuanqing interjected: "Chief, could you please help me consult the Jiangnan Province office regarding the progress of Lei Yibing's case? Additionally, I’d like to trace his movements and personal relationships during university days—more detailed information would be greatly appreciated." Previously, as a novice with limited experience, Zhang Yuanqing had harbored hopes that Bing Brother’s disappearance might simply be part of a long-term mission. But now, having uncovered the truth behind the Demon King's Character Card, he could no longer treat Bing Brother’s absence as mere coincidence. Why did Bing Brother vanish? Was he dead or alive? What was the significance of receiving this Character Card from him? A layer upon layer of mystery now enveloped these questions—matters that involved both Bing Brother and himself. Even though his current abilities were modest, Zhang Yuanqing felt compelled to begin exploring and investigating. Bing Brother had only sent over a Character Card without revealing any additional information—a situation easily understandable: sometimes, he wasn’t unwilling to speak; others simply couldn't pry open his lips. Today’s exchange was such an instance. Likely, Bing Brother deliberately chose silence for his own benefit—yet would surely leave behind subtle clues to guide Zhang Yuanqing toward uncovering the truth. Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing needed as much documentation about Bing Brother as possible. Li Dongze nodded in contemplation: "Very well—I’ll call on my colleagues there. But this will take some time." In Li Dongze’s view, Yuan Shi’s concern for his childhood friend was natural and understandable. Yet Li Dongze himself believed that a Realm Walker who entered the Spirit Realm for seven days had an extremely high likelihood of not surviving—the journey itself often proved fatal. Only after discussing Bing Brother did Zhang Yuanqing shift to the matter at hand, his expression now serious: "Chief, I have something to report." Seeing his subordinate so earnest and composed, Li Dongze set down the shaving knife, closed the mirror, and straightened himself slightly. "What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing then thoroughly explained to Li Dongze the hospital incident involving his aunt—how the hospital had become haunted, and how he inadvertently brought home an infant spirit—though he deliberately omitted details about the Spirit Servant. He described the spirit instead as a stabilized, yet still unascended, inert entity—an ordinary spirit that had undergone ritual training but hadn't progressed into full Spirit Servant status. During this account, Zhang Yuanqing composed his emotions, managing both expression and tone so as not to betray any inconsistencies, ensuring the scouts wouldn’t detect anything amiss. Finally, he concluded: "I suspect there’s a Realm Walker conducting experiments on spirit servants within the hospital—most likely the Night Wandering Deity. But I’m uncertain whether this initiative is led by independent practitioners or official institutions." Li Dongze's expression grew increasingly grim; he couldn’t help but tighten his walking cane and exclaimed: "Oh my, this is someone who deserves to go straight to hell—I’ll make sure they pay dearly for their actions, I swear!" There’s a difference between consuming a spirit and transforming one into a Spirit Servant. Spirits naturally dissipate upon death—this is inevitable. Consuming them merely accelerates that process. But training a spirit to serve as a servant—a process that involves continuous control and constraint—is contrary to human dignity, especially when the spirit in question is an infant. Moreover, it's unjust to systematically train ordinary people’s spirits into servants. Consider this: if one’s own family member or friend were such a special spirit—what would they feel upon their death being used as fuel for a servant? I thought you’d say something like—I really want to kick him right in the backside… Zhang Yuanqing mentally sighed at Chief Li's habitual phrases. "Chief, I’ve already conducted a ritual to liberate that child and recovered its memories. I’d like to request an independent assignment so I can gain firsthand experience," Zhang Yuanqing proposed. He knew immediately that Li Dongze would not agree. Li Dongze indeed shook his head: "That’s a thoughtful idea. But during the process of accumulating experience, setbacks are bound to happen—within Realm Walkers, even one misstep may result in death. How about this: I’ll accompany you with Guan Ya. Her martial arts skills and shooting accuracy surpass mine." "Excellent, Chief," Zhang Yuanqing silently delighted. For the infant spirit case, he needed full authority to ensure that Guan Ya’s presence remained undetected—yet as Li Dongze had pointed out, Spirit Realm events demanded careful navigation; a single oversight could prove fatal—as demonstrated by Ou Xiangrong. Thus, he required an experienced partner. When Zhang Yuanqing expressed his desire for training, it was likely that Li Dongze would step back from personally leading the effort—instead opting to have Guan Ya accompany him as a compromise. After all, everyone knew that, as a Night Wandering Deity with a rule-based Prop at hand, Zhang Yuanqing had an exceptionally high tolerance for risk—ordinary hazards wouldn’t deter him. In Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes, Guan Ya was far easier to manage than Li Dongze. "So now I’ll go find Guan Ya?" Li Dongze murmured "Hm," then suddenly teased: "You're singing quite well—next time, please don't!" "..." ... Kangyang District, Pingtai Hospital. As a tertiary hospital specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, Pingtai ranked among the top five nationally for its expertise in maternity care—boasting several renowned specialists. The black business vehicle entered the hospital grounds; the doors slid open automatically. Guan Ya observed Zhang Yuanqing’s expression with concern: "Have you noticed any visual blurring or flickering on your smartphone or computer screens recently?" "Why are you asking that?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, returning his focus to what he was trying to uncover. Guan Ya arched her elegant smile and winked playfully: "Your demeanor tells me you’ve been overusing those devices." Familiar with Guan Ya’s style of expression, Zhang Yuanqing simply replied without hesitation: "Since the Chief has requested my cooperation, what is our standard procedure?" Guan Ya adjusted her serious demeanor and responded: "We begin by identifying the target person. You've seen them personally—locking in a specific individual isn’t difficult. Then we engage with them directly. If their strength is modest, we take control; otherwise, we notify the Chief and proceed to seize them through force." "But we’re uncertain whether there are any allies within this hospital or how widespread these spirit servant experiments have become. Therefore, it’s best to maintain a cautious stance at first—conduct an initial reconnaissance of Pingtai Hospital." "We can start with the accounts of ghostly occurrences—the timeline when they began? Beyond the infant spirit, are there other reported incidents?" "We should examine records of miscarriages and stillbirths during that period—particularly for male infants born after a significant gestation. Such cases won’t be common, making it easier to identify the infant’s identity." "Infant spirits have inherently weak spiritual energy—they dissipate rapidly once they pass away. So anyone who had close contact with pregnant women during that time are key candidates for screening." "If any of these individuals matches your identified target, we initiate a capture action; if not, then it indicates the presence of allies within the hospital." The plan was both clear and well-structured—this is what one would expect from a scout... Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily struck silent: "Since my aunt works here, I’m not comfortable visiting the obstetrics department. How about we divide our efforts? I’ll handle matters related to spirits, while you take care of the obstetrics side?" They stepped out of the vehicle, donned masks and hats, then split up at the hospital entrance. As they entered the main building and ascended to the fourth floor, Guan Ya scanned each woman—some slightly pregnant, others visibly carrying a large belly—and suddenly brightened. Approaching a white-gowned female doctor who walked in her direction, she had an oval face with smooth skin, bright eyes, and a well-defined nose—her wavy hair cascaded down behind. She held a piece of candy between her teeth, her cheeks slightly swollen—an added touch of charm. Guan Ya, proud of her own beauty, was still impressed by this naturally elegant doctor. She quickly stepped forward, blocking the doctor’s path and smiled: "Doctor, I'm planning to start trying for pregnancy—what should I pay attention to?" ... Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing moved into a quiet corridor and summoned his person_name. "Ah-ah-ah…" The infant—the round, charming baby with sparse downy hair—was lying on the floor, its large dark eyes fixed on Zhang Yuanqing, pure and innocent. Zhang Yuanqing conveyed to it ideas of "freedom," "play," and "activity." His intention was to use this person_name as a way to draw out the hidden forces—the loss of such a valuable Spirit Servant would inevitably prompt inquiries when the infant reappeared in the hospital. Even if that plan failed, the presence of this person_name would still lead Zhang Yuanqing to the true culprits—this baby would remember its encounter with the person responsible and develop natural affinity for them. With Zhang Yuanqing’s permission, the person_name happily moved its limbs and began crawling along the corridor. Zhang Yuanqing followed close behind it, leading it through the hallways, past doors, into the waiting room, and finally to the obstetrics department. Was that woman really in the obstetrics department? As Zhang Yuanqing pondered this, he heard a bright, bell-like laugh: "Oh yes—oh yes! You like that skincare brand too? I often travel abroad—I’ll bring you some back." That was Guan Ya’s voice. Following the sound, he saw her chatting warmly with the female doctor. The white-gowned doctor—the one who had just arrived—was none other than his aunt. Oh no! Zhang Yuanqing lowered his hat brim and tried to keep his gaze low, avoiding eye contact. Though wearing a mask and hat, given how well he knew both of them, Guan Ya could easily recognize him simply by looking at his eyes. At that moment, the person_name began happily crawling toward his aunt.