The transaction complete, the red thread on Xing Yuan’s body vanished. A black mist enveloped Wu Yi’s soul, ensuring that unless Xing Yuan chose to leave, Wu Yi would slumber within this body forever.
With a sense of responsibility, Xing Yuan imitated Wu Yi’s handwriting and left a farewell letter for her parents, stating she was heartbroken and needed to travel to clear her head.
After ensuring the letter would reach Wu Yi’s parents, Xing Yuan packed her belongings and headed for the Demon Extermination Division, where Su Yue was stationed.
Several months remained until the next unified recruitment for the Demon Extermination Division. The only way to enter outside of the recruitment period was to obtain a letter of recommendation from a reputable senior or to prove one possessed extraordinary strength.
Between the two options, Xing Yuan decisively chose to seek a recommendation. While proving her strength would be simple for her, it was impossible for Wu Yi. To maintain a low profile, the former option suited her needs better.
Xing Yuan’s spiritual sense extended outwards, and she quickly found a suitable candidate – Bai Yongnian, a researcher from the first batch to discover the resurgence of anomalies. He was currently recuperating at home, and coincidentally, he was in the same city.
Xing Yuan soon arrived at a villa. With her keen senses, she bypassed the security system and successfully infiltrated the premises.
Bai Yongnian preferred quiet, so only a housekeeper attended to his daily needs. Without attracting anyone's attention, Xing Yuan made her way to the villa's basement. Even at home, Bai Yongnian was restless, always tinkering in the basement.
When Xing Yuan entered, Bai Yongnian was intently observing a peculiar instrument before him, meticulously recording its data changes every second.
The black mist slowly enveloped him from behind. Bai Yongnian swayed, feeling waves of dizziness wash over his mind, and then he collapsed onto the floor.
Soon, Bai Yongnian stood up again with his eyes closed, as if sleepwalking. He picked up a pen and paper and began writing the recommendation letter according to Xing Yuan’s instructions. Upon completion, he slumped back onto the table as if a task had been fulfilled.
Xing Yuan, satisfied, retracted the black mist and the letter. It seemed the original host’s form was quite useful, even more effective than charm techniques. Charm techniques only controlled a person’s body, whereas the black mist fundamentally altered Bai Yongnian’s memories. Even if someone later suspected her identity, they would find no discrepancies if they questioned Bai Yongnian.
Xing Yuan, holding the recommendation letter, reported to the Demon Extermination Division and was politely received by Song Ling.
“How is Elder Bai’s health?” Song Ling, recognizing the familiar handwriting, found it hard to believe it was from Bai Yongnian. He had never interfered with the affairs of the Demon Extermination Division before.
“Uncle Bai is in excellent health! He just can’t sit still,” Xing Yuan replied with a shy, harmless smile.
“Elder Bai has always been so diligent!” Song Ling chuckled, folding his hands across his chest. “Very well, in consideration of Elder Bai, you can start as an intern here. You’ll be officially appointed after the probationary period. Any objections?”
“No objections!” Xing Yuan beamed with a bashful smile. “Could I be assigned to Captain Su’s team? She’s always been my idol!”
Song Ling looked at the demure Xing Yuan and nodded. “Certainly! Report there shortly. Actions speak louder than words; do your job well! Our salaries are quite competitive.”
“Thank you, Director!” Xing Yuan suppressed her inner excitement and hurried out.
Watching Xing Yuan’s impetuous departure, Song Ling smiled. He supposed he had been overly sensitive lately. This was clearly just a child who hadn't fully grown up.
Xing Yuan handed her documents to Yuan Li. After verifying them, Yuan Li smiled. “Welcome to the Demon Extermination Division. I’m Yuan Li, Captain Su’s assistant. Feel free to ask me any questions.”
Upon hearing Yuan Li’s words, Xing Yuan’s eyes immediately held a hint of hostility. Did that mean this Yuan Li had been by her ‘Ah Jie’s’ side while she was away? Hmm… how should she get rid of her?
Her luck seemed quite high. Could she be the protagonist of this world? How troublesome.
Xing Yuan wore a radiant smile, but dark thoughts swirled in her mind. She longed to hide ‘Ah Jie’ away, for her eyes only.
“Yuan Li, what are you doing? Bring the documents here quickly!” Su Yue suddenly pushed open the door, interrupting Xing Yuan’s surging killing intent.
Xing Yuan lowered her head, concealing the dark emotions that involuntarily surfaced in her eyes. She couldn't frighten ‘Ah Jie’.
“Captain Su, apologies! We just had a new recruit, and I was verifying her documents,” Yuan Li quickly explained, handing over the files.
“Hmm~” Su Yue glanced at Xing Yuan without much interest and returned to her office to continue analyzing the case.
“Don’t mind her, Captain Su can be quite aloof sometimes!” Yuan Li quickly explained, worried about discouraging the newcomer, especially since she had come highly recommended.
“It’s alright! Work is important!” Xing Yuan replied understandingly.
Watching Su Yue’s retreating back, Xing Yuan’s lips curved into a brilliant smile. Being aloof was good! That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else being around ‘Ah Jie’.
Yuan Li, seeing the obedient girl, felt a surge of fondness. She gestured to the seat beside her. “You can sit here from now on. We don’t have many people in our division, so the office is quite spacious.”
“Okay,” Xing Yuan nodded obediently.
“Sister Yuan Li, what case is Captain Su looking into these days?” Xing Yuan proactively probed.
“I’m not entirely sure. It seems there have been many murder cases in the city recently, and they’ve been assigned to us. Don’t worry, Captain Su will tell us once she’s finished analyzing these cases,” Yuan Li said nonchalantly. After all, as long as there were cases, they would eventually know. There was no need to rush.
“Right,” Yuan Li said, placing a stack of documents on Xing Yuan’s desk. “These are all cases our Demon Extermination Division needs to handle. Take a look and try to distinguish which ones were committed by anomalies and which by malicious individuals. Put the confirmed ones aside, and the uncertain ones aside as well. The uncertain ones will be handed over to Captain Su for her judgment! If that’s still not enough, we’ll have to conduct on-site investigations.”
Xing Yuan initially wanted to refuse, but upon hearing that it would lighten ‘Ah Jie’s’ burden, she eagerly scooped up the documents and promised repeatedly, “Don’t worry, I’ll finish reviewing these documents as soon as possible.”
Yuan Li chuckled. Indeed, new recruits always had such high enthusiasm. However, to avoid seeming like they were overworking their employees, she added, “No need to rush. These documents are your task for the next few days. Remember to balance work and rest!”