On the outskirts of Qianli City, despite being far from the city's hustle and bustle, a certain base remained bustling with activity late into the night.
Trucks loaded far beyond their weight limits moved in and out, and the area was brightly lit. Massive searchlights illuminated the base's surroundings as if it were day, silencing the owls in the nearby hillside forests.
Only a few nightjars in search of mates occasionally let out their strange "doo, doo, doo" calls.
Due to historical reasons, countless air-raid shelters of various sizes existed within Qianli City. The headquarters of the newly established 500 Special Investigation Section happened to be located right here.
"Tap, tap, tap."
The crisp sound of leather boots striking the hard floor echoed against the walls of the air-raid shelter, further emphasizing the emptiness of the underground base.
"Even though the 【729 Changping Red-clothed Little Girl Case】 has been closed, we are in the internet age. Remember to communicate with the cyber police department later to handle public opinion and prevent the impact from spreading."
"As for the 【Route 9 Bus Supernatural Case】, the higher-ups require the Special Investigation Section to perform a decontamination process on the supernatural object involved—the Route 9 bus—once the case is concluded. We must also research the cause of the supernatural events as much as possible."
"However, I hope the action group will conduct a thorough background investigation before moving in to avoid any casualties."
Qin Yue, dressed in a black uniform, paced in front of a massive whiteboard. At first glance, her black uniform looked very similar to a police uniform, but a closer look revealed four pockets on the right chest and the words "Special Investigation Section" printed clearly on the back.
Seated around the conference table were the members of the Special Investigation Section:
Fang Zijiang, He Xiaoyi, Zhang Yue, Zhao Daxian... Except for Chen Ping, everyone else was present.
"The 'Route 9 Bus' case is the first one since our Special Investigation Section's emergency expansion, so there's pressure from both above and below. That's normal."
"Pressure provides the motivation to solve cases, so I have faith in everyone's abilities. As you all know, this underground experimental base was specially approved by the higher-ups for the laboratory."
"After all, the number of special cases we handle will only increase. The preservation and study of supernatural objects after a case is closed is of paramount importance."
"Therefore, all future research on supernatural objects related to our cases will be conducted here to mitigate any potential latent hazards."
At this point, Qin Yue glanced at Zhao Daxian, who had remained silent the entire time, and suddenly spoke:
"As for this case, Teacher He and Zhao Daxian will lead the action group. Do either of you have any problems with that?"
He Xiaoyi's expression turned somewhat grave.
He was certainly aware of this case.
It could be said that no one living in Qianli City was unaware of the ghost stories surrounding the Route 9 bus.
Before the city's bus reforms, the old Route 9 bus route ran from the city center to the suburbs. After ascending to the Qingpo Mountain Cemetery, it would loop back to the terminus.
However, one year during a heavy rainstorm, a landslide occurred on Qingpo Mountain. A Route 9 bus was caught in it, burying the vehicle and its occupants in mud. Nine people, including the driver, lost their lives.
Since then, eerie rumors about the Route 9 bus gradually spread. Some people exercising at four in the morning claimed to have seen an old Route 9 bus "creak and groan" its way up Qingpo Mountain, filled with expressionless passengers.
Others working late would be checking their phones at the bus stop, only to look up and see an empty, old Route 9 bus parked right in front of them.
The reason this case was sent to the Special Investigation Section was that someone had witnessed a missing person vanish after boarding an old Route 9 bus.
By the time they took over, the number of related disappearances had already reached six.
But that wasn't what He Xiaoyi was worried about.
Given Zhao Daxian's arrogant and condescending personality, would he be willing to follow someone else's lead?
He Xiaoyi looked at Qin Yue, feeling momentarily uncertain.
"...Of course, I will absolutely follow the organization's arrangements."
The young man in the pink tracksuit stood up with a spirited expression and declared decisively:
"I'll organize a meeting with the action group immediately. I guarantee we'll stay up all night to finish the background investigation for this case!"
"Teacher He, I'll be troubling you this time."
He agreed readily, though a hint of awkwardness eventually flickered across his face.
"Um... Teacher He, I admit my previous work attitude was problematic. But I promise you, a similar situation will never happen again. I mean it!"
So out of character?
Did this guy take the wrong medicine today?
Zhang Yue, who was sitting to the side flipping through documents, also sensed something was wrong and glanced up at Zhao Daxian.
Ever since the Green Ti New City fire and ghost case ended, this guy's attitude had been quite strange.
When Zhao Daxian first arrived, he always had a nonchalant, listless attitude, acting as if he couldn't be bothered with anything.
But now, his entire aura had changed.
Not only was he full of drive, but there was also a faint, hidden hope in his eyes when he looked at Qin Yue, as if he were anticipating some form of recognition.
Compared to the cynical attitude he had when he first joined, the current Zhao Daxian was so obedient it was almost creepy.
"Section Head Qin, the supernatural objects collected from the scene of the red-clothed little girl case have been delivered. My people are conducting urgent tests, but because we lack the means to preserve samples, these materials lose their activity very easily."
Fang Zijiang slowly pushed up his glasses and spoke tentatively:
"So, I'll have to trouble Group Leader Zhao to try and collect more materials the next time he's in the field..."
Knowing Zhao Daxian's personality, everyone expected him to refuse Fang Zijiang's request. To their surprise, the former seemed to let out a faint sigh of relief and immediately patted his chest in agreement.
"No problem! Leave it to me."
If they weren't certain this was the real Zhao Daxian, they would have suspected he was possessed by something.
Qin Yue, of course, knew the real reason for the change in his attitude.
The Special Investigation Section had undergone an emergency expansion. With the government making such a major move, religious organizations naturally reacted as well.
Lately, more than half of the calls Qin Yue received were people inquiring about her cultivation progress. The rest were subtly probing the government's stance toward private religious organizations.
Even Taoist masters and exorcists with significant reputations among the people had been volunteering themselves. She had lost track of how many applications to join the Special Investigation Section she had already rejected.
Zhao Daxian likely felt the pressure of being replaced at any moment. Furthermore, having personally witnessed the extraordinary abilities of Ma Guniang, he was now putting in a huge effort, wanting to get closer and closer to that door to the mysterious.
Qin Yue had originally planned to replace him.
However, considering the team's future cohesion, she suppressed that thought for now.
During the Green Ti New City case, Zhao Daxian's performance had been barely satisfactory, and he had even been taught a small lesson by Ma Guniang for his loose tongue.
But it was clear that Ma Guniang's attitude toward them was that of an elder looking at a junior, and she seemed to have a good impression of the government. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gifted them a cultivation technique after only one meeting.
After the video of the scene was submitted that day, the higher-ups had never stopped investigating Ma Guniang. Unfortunately, they had found nothing.
Her background, the nature of the "demon suppressors" and "commissioners" she mentioned, and why she had such an ambiguous attitude toward the government remained a mystery.
The footage of Ma Guniang's appearance had been studied repeatedly. Her speech patterns, physical preferences, and verbal tics were cross-referenced, and even details like the style and fabric of her clothing were not overlooked.
It was said that more than a dozen trace evidence experts had fainted from exhaustion because of this.
But one thing was certain: Ma Guniang definitely held the answers they sought.
Qin Yue absentmindedly rubbed her temples.
If her subordinates weren't up to par, she could slowly train them. If they still didn't improve, she'd deal with it then.
However, the fewer people who knew about Ma Guniang, the better.
"I know everyone is interested in the special existence calling herself Ma Guniang and the cultivation technique. Copies of the technique have already been verified for safety by martial arts masters and renowned traditional Chinese medicine experts."
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping over everyone. After a long moment, she spoke with a smile.
"Considering this technique truly possesses special effects, once it has been translated into a manual, the organization will prioritize distributing it to the members of the Special Investigation Section."
"To ensure safety, the first group, consisting of myself and nine other action group members, will begin simultaneous cultivation to observe the progress."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and their gazes fell squarely on Qin Yue.
"Section Head Qin, what does cultivation feel like? Is it really like in cultivation novels where you can feel spiritual energy?"
"The first group has already started? Remember to send me a copy of the synchronized experimental data. I want to study it properly. By the way, are there any special sensations during cultivation?"
"If there's a special sensation, it would be that my physical fitness has clearly improved, and I need to consume much more energy than before."
Qin Yue shrugged.
"Also, during daily training, everything feels much easier than before. As for the spiritual energy you mentioned, I really haven't felt anything."
She stood up and threw a punch into the empty air. As the sound of breaking the air rang out, the bones within her body let out a series of fine "crack, pop" sounds. The muscles beneath the skin of her fluidly lined arms were remarkably distinct.
If this punch landed solidly on a person, it could probably knock their soul right out of them.
Although the others couldn't see it, they keenly sensed that this punch was different from ordinary combat techniques.
How could it be described?
If combat techniques were likened to ordinary weapons, Qin Yue's boxing was like a blade tempered in fierce fire, brimming with murderous intent.
"This should be the path of body tempering. First, clear the meridians and expand the bones and muscles, then regulate the five elements of the internal organs. Ancient records state that tempering blood and qi is meant to increase the primordial energy of the physical shell, cleansing the essence and washing the marrow to expel postnatal impurities from the body."
Zhao Daxian's eyes were full of envy, and he was nearly drooling.
"This process is like forging iron. You hammer the physical body step by step to make it solid until it becomes a unified whole. Once you have condensed pure flesh and blood, you can perform gathering qi and concentrating the spirit to begin storing qi within the body, to be used as needed."
The others crowded around Qin Yue to get a better look. He Xiaoyi couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder.
"You can actually cultivate? With modern spiritual energy waning, I've only heard of natural blessed lands like Longhua Mountain or Mount Emei where people can use spiritual energy to temper their bodies. If there's really nothing wrong with this technique, then we owe a huge favor."
"Given your progress, let alone those serious body tempering practitioners, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"Tsk, tsk. I really wonder what kind of place that Demon Suppression Division is. A basic technique they just give away is such a treasure."
Indeed, what kind of place was the Demon Suppression Division?
Qin Yue couldn't help but let out a long breath.
Rate on N.U.
