I Can See Experience Points

"X, I know you’re powerful, but I hope you can restrain yourself. Don’t just go rushing in with a heavy hammer the moment you see an evil spirit or anomaly. Our goal is to investigate, to find the Mirror Spirit’s location. The good thing is, it looks like you didn’t bring that pair of brutal weapons out tonight."

Lei Yang said without looking back, his eyes fixed on the road as he drove.

Of course, he wasn’t giving an order, but speaking in a more consultative tone.

"Okay."

He Xiaotian nodded. To be fair, Lei Yang’s request wasn’t unreasonable.

’He understood that the worst thing for a team was to have a reckless person in it.’

’The saying "one bad apple spoils the bunch" isn’t just for show.’

"But if some foolish evil spirit comes looking for trouble with me, you can’t blame me for fighting back, can you?"

"Of course. No regulation says a citizen isn’t allowed to fight back when they’re in danger."

The group chatted along the way to pass the time.

During the drive, Lei Yang kept trying to sound out He Xiaotian.

But he deflected every attempt, staying silent on things he couldn’t discuss, which left Captain Lei feeling like he was trying to eat a hedgehog—there was simply no place to start.

What was rather strange was that one of the three people in the car hadn’t said a single word since they had met at Liu Rui’s house.

He seemed indifferent to everything, as if to say, ’Do whatever you want.’

Zheng Peng and his men followed close behind in their own car.

Department 037 was responsible for sifting through a massive number of cases to identify supernatural incidents. Plus, most of them were ordinary people; sending them would be pointless. Worse, it would be like sending them on a long trip just to get themselves killed.

As for the higher-level City Guardians, they were all stationed at important locations and simply couldn’t be spared.

And don’t even mention the Cleaner organization; they had been short-staffed for the past six months.

So, these three grunts, including Zheng Peng, were put to use. It would be a waste not to.

Add to that He Xiaotian, who was immune to the Dream Eye Illusion Skill, plus two anomalous items: Immobilization Talisman, Code: D-12, and a Spirit Potion from the Evil Flask, Code: B-09.

The Pen Immortal?

’To hell with it!!’

The thing was completely useless, a total waste of its Code: C-13 designation.

Lei Yang was confident that this time, he could eliminate the Mirror Spirit in one fell swoop and avenge his team member, Xiaoyang.

Over forty minutes later, they exited the G2X expressway and headed for the so-called "Empty Nest Village."

Good thing their vehicle was an SUV, an all-terrain vehicle, because the country roads were not forgiving.

Another ten-odd minutes later, they finally spotted a lone village bathed in moonlight.

The buildings looked dilapidated; there were even a few abandoned houses at the village entrance, the roadsides choked with weeds.

The pristine moonlight washed over the scene, rendering the village a ghastly, pale white.

It gave one a creeping sense of dread for no apparent reason.

"Captain Lei, do people actually still live here?"

Captain Su truly couldn’t imagine that such a rundown village could exist on the outskirts of bustling Shanghai.

"Can’t you see the lights on in a few of the houses? Why wouldn’t people live here? Don’t be fooled by how desolate Zhou family Village looks now; they were glorious a decade ago. I think they were the ones who started the first agritourism business here.

"It’s a pity, though. As business boomed, they were gradually consumed by greed. The simple, honest local customs were gone, replaced by rising ticket prices and exorbitant costs for room and board. Add to that the fact that neighboring villages started copying them, and they gradually fell into decline."

"The older generation grew old, and once the younger generation came of age, they all left for Shanghai or other places to make a living. Now, apart from some elderly folks and left-behind children, you can hardly see a single young face in the village."

"Impressive, Captain Lei!"

He Xiaotian glanced at the small display on Lei Yang’s steering wheel. ’I wonder if I should tell Captain Su he’s just reading from a script.’

Although Zhou family Village was nicknamed "Empty Nest Village," the roads inside were plenty wide enough to drive the SUV through.

Furthermore, the roads were paved with gravel, which was much better than dirt paths.

’If it were daytime, they might have gotten to experience some of the unique local culture.’

He Xiaotian gazed through the car window at the rows of pitch-black, silent houses.

He had an indescribable feeling, a sense that behind those dark windows, pairs of malicious eyes were staring at them, a group of uninvited guests.

"The radar shows everything is normal. Let’s not get out of the car yet. I’ll circle a few more times, try to get a full, 360-degree scan of Zhou family Village," Lei Yang said with a frown, his tone resigned.

Ten minutes later, the radar had found nothing.

"That’s impossible. I just installed an enhanced version of the onboard detector the day before yesterday. I even loaded the Mirror Spirit’s resentful energy signature into it. How can there be no reaction after circling several times?"

Staring at the display, Lei Yang started to panic a little.

’He had absolute faith in the diviner’s words.’

’Ever since that Daoist master started charging exorbitant fees, he hadn’t gotten a single divination wrong.’

’Surely his luck couldn’t be so rotten that he’d be the one to encounter the diviner’s first-ever mistake!’

Then, Captain Lei thought of the infuriating Pen Immortal.

’Had his luck been good for even a single day since he acquired it?’

’So, it was all the Pen Immortal’s fault! It had to be!’

’Ma Dan, once this mission is over, I swear I’ll find a chance to snap you in two.’

"Ahem, Captain Lei, you’ve circled Zhou family Village ten times now. If you’re planning on heading back, can you just leave me here?" He Xiaotian spoke up. ’I’ve come all this way. I’m not leaving without earning some Experience Points.’

’Besides, after upgrading the Vajra Lion’s Roar, his Experience Points were about to hit rock bottom again.’

’He wouldn’t be able to get by in the coming days.’

’He considered himself an expert now, and felt he should be able to handle most unexpected events.’

’And if he couldn’t, he could always just make a strategic retreat!’

"*Sigh.* The deputy director only gave us a week. With the deadline just five days away, we have to deal with this rampaging Mirror Spirit as quickly as possible."

"We’re getting out. We’ll stake out Zhou family Village. I refuse to believe they’re so clever they won’t leave a single trace. With seven gifted people gathered in one place, our souls are an irresistible feast for a Mirror Spirit."

"If they dared to kill three people in a row right inside the Cleaner compound, they won’t be afraid to attack us. Of course, during the stakeout, you’re free to leave at any time, X. After all, you were just hired by Mr. Liu; you’re not an official member of the organization."

Lei Yang took a deep breath, his expression turning fierce as he spoke.

His hatred for the Mirror Spirit ran deeper than anyone else’s.

His teammate, his brother-in-arms, had been tragically hacked into a dozen pieces, his eyes gouged out, and left on his bed to die in agony.

Every time he recalled Xiaoyang’s gruesome death, Lei Yang would be overcome with uncontrollable rage, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

He Xiaotian pushed open the car door and looked up at the sign. Due to faulty wiring, what should have been the "Esteemed Family Inn" now read "Ghost Possession." He grinned.

’So after all that, you guys drove all the way out here, found nothing, and now you’re going to get a room?!’