This Taoist priest is so unprofessional!

Wang Xiaoer shook his neck, making a crisp cracking sound.

"I'm just a little hungry."

Zhang Chen let out a long breath, plopped down in a chair, pointed at Wang Xiaoer, and said with a look of lingering fear.

"Do you know you almost burned yourself to ashes!"

"Back then, you had nothing left on you—no energy, no spirit, not even your luck was completely gone. You were like a living dead! It scared your father to death!"

Zhang Chen recounted everything that had happened in the past few days to Wang Xiaoer.

From how he was restored by heaven and earth after he fell into a coma, to how they divided up that Water Fiend Inner Core.

As he spoke, Zhang Chen carefully took out several drawn talismans from his pocket.

The talisman paper was made of the same material, but the cinnabar runes on it now faintly glowed with a dark blue light, and a chilling aura lingered around it.

"The Sunflower Water Divine Thunder Talisman has become three."

Zhang Chen's tone carried a hint of smugness.

"Now, if we encounter a monster of that level again, we have the confidence to protect ourselves."

Wang Xiaoer nodded, then turned his gaze to A Yue.

A-Yue didn't speak, she just raised her hand.

A streak of emerald light flew out from her sleeve and hovered in mid-air.

It was that jade-green mantis.

However, the mantis at this moment is completely different from the one before.

It was a size larger, and its originally emerald green carapace now had a deep, jade-like turquoise color, with a faint blue halo around the edges.

Most striking are its iconic forelimbs with serrated feet.

The blade was wider than before, and its edge gleamed with a chilling light, as if it could slice through space with a single stroke.

The aura it emitted was several times stronger than before, cold and solid.

Clearly, the energy from that half of the Water Fiend Inner Core allowed it to undergo a complete transformation.

"Great, you've all become more capable."

Wang Xiaoer smiled, then changed the subject.

"By the way, you mentioned some mysterious department that sealed off Moon Bay?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen's expression instantly turned serious.

He lowered his voice and said solemnly.

"This is a bit troublesome."

"I asked my uncle to inquire about it these past two days. I only mentioned 'an SUV with a special black license plate,' and my uncle scolded me severely, telling me not to ask what I shouldn't ask, not to look at what I shouldn't look at, and to pretend that nothing happened."

Zhang Chen smiled mysteriously, "But he still let me know a little bit."

"That department seems to be an official national agency that specifically handles incidents like ours. It has immense power, operates with extreme discretion, and its staff all use code names."

"Their internal code name is something like 'Night Guard'."

Town Night Guard.

Wang Xiaoer silently repeated the name in his mind.

"They claimed that Moon Bay was to be subject to long-term 'geological exploration,' and set up a long cordon with people guarding it 24 hours a day, so that not even a bird could fly in."

Zhang Chen added.

Wang Xiaoer wasn't too concerned about the possibility of being targeted by the authorities.

If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.

They acted uprightly and honestly; their slaying of demons and monsters was an act of justice, and there was nothing shameful about it.

He was more concerned with something else.

What happened to the three missing college students?

He asked.

Upon hearing this question, the atmosphere in the office instantly became heavy.

The smugness and excitement on Zhang Chen's face vanished completely. He remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed.

"Police found their bodies a dozen kilometers downstream from Moon Bay."

"The forensic examination results showed that the cause of death was hypothermia leading to muscle cramps in the hands and feet, ultimately resulting in drowning."

Wang Xiaoer frowned.

Zhang Chen saw through his thoughts and looked helpless.

"I know that's not the truth."

"But for their families, this outcome may be the best possible explanation."

"We can't exactly tell them that their child's yang energy was drained by an evil dragon that had been cultivating for who knows how many years, can we?"

"Some truths are too much for ordinary people to bear."

Wang Xiaoer fell silent.

Zhang Chen is right.

In this world, there is light and there is darkness.

These people who walk on the boundary between Yin and Yang do not only slay demons and monsters, but sometimes they also protect that boundary so that people under the sun can continue to live under the sun without having to face those terrifying and desperate truths.

This matter seems to have come to an end.

Wang Xiaoer's strength seems to have improved again, and his foundation has become more solid.

Zhang Chen and A Yue also gained something, making up for their own shortcomings.

The firm returned to its usual tranquility.

However, this calm did not last long.

One afternoon a week later.

Wang Xiaoer was lying on the armchair, studying the talisman book Zhang Chen had given him, trying to infuse his liquefied pure yang true essence into the most basic evil-breaking talisman.

Zhang Chen was meditating in the inner room, a rare occurrence for him.

A-Yue was wiping the shell of her beloved mantis shrimp on the balcony.

Everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

"Thump, thump, thump."

A clear and rhythmic knocking broke the silence.

The knocking was neither hurried nor slow, and the intervals and force of each knock were exactly the same, as if it had been precisely calculated by a machine.

Wang Xiaoer put down the booklet in his hand and stood up with some confusion.

Who could it be at this point in time?

He glanced outside, paused slightly, then got up and opened the office door.

A man and a woman stood outside the door.

Both men were dressed in crisp black uniforms with a unique cut that combined the crispness of modern tactical wear with a subtle touch of classic elegance. They wore no military or police rank insignia on their shoulders, only a silver badge composed of a sword and scales.

Standing behind was a man, tall and burly, with a resolute face and sharp eyes like a hawk, exuding an aura of iron-bloodedness that kept strangers at bay.

The woman in the lead looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She had short, neat hair, a cold and beautiful face, and exquisite features that resembled a sculpture.

She just stood there quietly, and a powerful aura emanated from her.

It was the powerful aura of someone who had long held a high position, was used to giving orders, and had absolute confidence in their own abilities.

Her gaze, calm and cold, swept over Wang Xiaoer as if she were assessing an object rather than a living person.

Wang Xiaoer frowned slightly; he disliked that look.

Without saying a word, the woman took out a black ID holder from her pocket and flashed it in front of Wang Xiaoer.

The national emblem is solemnly displayed on the certificate.

The next line of large, gold-plated characters clearly caught Wang Xiaoer's eye.

—The General Administration of Abnormal Phenomena and Special Species in China (Zhenye Division).

Below that is her job title and name.

Qin Yueyao, the captain of the third action team.

Qin Yueyao put away her ID, looked directly at Wang Xiaoer, and got straight to the point.

Her voice, like her eyes, was flat, calm, and devoid of any emotion.

"Mr. Wang Xiaoer, we suspect that you are involved in the 'Moon Bay Class A Paranormal Incident' ten days ago."

"Please come back with us to assist with the investigation."