Even stranger than the man's priestly appearance was his behavior.
He walked along the street, stopping every passerby he encountered. With an overly enthusiastic smile on his face, he would urgently say something to them.
The distance was too great for Yue Shi to hear their conversation.
However, seeing the passersby wave him off without exception—their expressions filled with vigilance, suspicion, or even disdain and disgust—it was clear that whatever this "priest" was saying was far from pleasant.
This was quite interesting. In a place like Amber City, someone dressed so strangely and acting so oddly was bound to draw suspicion.
However, the fact that this "priest" was doing this right near the Investigation Bureau in broad daylight cleverly dispelled the suspicion that he was a criminal.
Just then, Yue Shi saw an Investigation Bureau staff member running hurriedly from the other end of the street, evidently late for work.
Yue Shi had some memory of this person; it was Zhang Songyun, the exceptionally lucky member of the Detection Section.
The young man dressed as a priest also stopped Zhang Songyun.
Despite his obvious anxiety, Zhang Songyun patiently stopped to listen to a few words.
But soon, Zhang Songyun grew impatient, waving his hands repeatedly as if shooing away something annoying before practically sprinting into the Investigation Bureau building.
The priest watched Zhang Songyun flee, shook his head helplessly, and continued his work.
Yue Shi watched the priest until his figure disappeared around a corner, merging into the bustling crowd.
With nothing to do, Yue Shi sat back down at his computer and idly browsed the recently recorded supernatural incidents in Amber City to see if anything interesting had popped up.
With his clearance, he could freely access records of supernatural incidents handled by various private organizations in Amber City.
Most were trivial matters or low-level contamination that private organizations could handle on their own. He found them quite dull and quickly grew bored.
The only record that caught his eye was about several unusual patients admitted to the city hospital a few days ago.
For some unknown reason, all sexual characteristics of these patients had suddenly vanished, turning them into genderless humans.
Strangely, tests showed no signs of supernatural contamination or curses; their mental states were stable, and their bodies showed no signs of mutation. Aside from losing their gender, these people were no different from anyone else.
The Investigation Bureau couldn't explain the phenomenon for now and could only keep it on file for future observation, waiting for more clues to surface before taking action.
“Losing their gender?” Yue Shi frowned. He couldn't make head or tail of it, so he simply noted the matter in his mind.
When the lunch break arrived, Yue Shi got up to eat.
Because so much had been happening in Amber City lately, the transcendent investigators of the Special Operations Section were required to remain on standby and couldn't stray too far from their posts.
The bureau's cafeteria provided a convenient option.
The Investigation Bureau had a cafeteria where staff could eat in shifts during the lunch break.
However, the previous chef's skills were mediocre and the food was heavily seasoned, so Yue Shi hadn't liked coming here.
Fortunately, the cafeteria had recently hired a new chef whose cooking was quite excellent.
Yue Shi got his food and had just found a corner to sit in when a figure carrying a tray approached him.
“Hello, Mr. Yue Shi,” the newcomer said with a familiar smile. “May I sit here?”
Yue Shi looked up; it was Zhang Songyun.
“Of course,” Yue Shi nodded, his expression calm while he instinctively went on guard. He disliked uninvited approaches, especially those with unclear motives.
“Thank you,” Zhang Songyun said, taking the initiative to start a conversation. “The bureau has been so busy lately.”
“Indeed,” Yue Shi replied perfunctorily, then asked as if casually, “I saw you running late this morning. Who was that man dressed as a priest who stopped you?”
“Oh? You saw that?” Zhang Songyun looked surprised, then scratched his head sheepishly. “I don't know him. He just grabbed me and started talking about joining their 'warm big family' and restoring the glory of the Lord or something like that...”
“A missionary?” Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” Zhang Songyun said uncertainly. “I didn't listen closely; I was in a hurry, so I just left.”
Religious proselytizing wasn't unusual these days. The advent of the supernatural hadn't crushed humanity's faith in the divine; instead, it had driven many to throw themselves even more fervently into the embrace of religion, seeking spiritual solace or a source of power.
Some religions took the opportunity to aggressively spread their doctrines and recruit members, expanding their influence.
Power blocs formed by churches were not uncommon; in essence, they were no different from transcendent elite families or private guilds, differing only in form and scale.
For the rest of the meal, Zhang Songyun did most of the talking while Yue Shi gave vague responses.
After finishing his meal quickly, Yue Shi stood up to leave.
Strangely, Zhang Songyun tried to invite him to dinner as well, but Yue Shi turned him down.
Such ambiguous approaches only served to trigger Yue Shi's vigilance.
Even if someone needed a favor from a transcendent or simply wanted to make friends, a transcendent with a personality as difficult as Yue Shi's shouldn't have been their first choice.
Gazing at Yue Shi's departing back, Zhang Songyun's brow furrowed with a hint of dissatisfaction. He tilted his head slightly as if listening, then his expression smoothed out, and a slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Back in the office, the afternoon passed without incident.
The following two days were the same; Yue Shi only handled a single, insignificant C-rank incident.
But he knew very well that this calm was only temporary. Once the Glory Association arrived in Amber City, they would undoubtedly cause a stir.
Even if everyone else behaved themselves, Yue Shi would personally take action to stir up trouble.
The morning of the fourth day.
As soon as Yue Shi stepped into the Investigation Bureau building, he sensed a change in the atmosphere.
The usual casual noise had been replaced by a deliberate silence.
Yue Shi understood immediately. The people from the Glory Association had arrived.
This charitable organization had arrived in Amber City with much fanfare and immediately began their charity work.
They first sent representatives to pay a formal visit to the Amber City Investigation Bureau, though they failed to see the director.
Afterward, the Glory Association completed a detailed registration, their process so standardized that no fault could be found.
They claimed their primary purpose was to conduct a charity aid mission. Given the recent string of supernatural incidents in Amber City, they wanted to help the victims and their families.
If the Glory Association truly were just here to do good, there would be no problem; anyone would welcome them warmly.
The charity aid activities spread rapidly. They set up temporary aid stations in the city square, with staff wearing matching uniforms and friendly smiles, distributing relief funds, supplies, and medicine to screened victim families.
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