"Tell me your assessment."
"I have fought that Shadow Demon before, and it felt very different to me. Although its entire body was covered in shadows and it looked eerie, fighting it felt more like fighting a human."
Wang Dehai's expression hardened instantly: "Are you saying that the Shadow Demon is likely not a demonic entity, but a Spirit Tamer with shadow abilities?"
Yang Ming nodded solemnly: "That Shadow Demon was extremely powerful, and there was also a Head Demon by its side. If I hadn't been lucky enough to kill the Head Demon first and break through to the third stage on the spot, I probably wouldn't have stood a chance.
To be honest, even after breaking through to the third stage, I didn't have absolute confidence in defeating the Shadow Demon. But the opponent was strange—as soon as I broke through, it immediately vanished into the shadows.
The battle was also strange. It seemed to be holding back, despite its great strength, relying mainly on the Head Demon to engage us while it occasionally launched surprise attacks from the sidelines.
I had a strange feeling that the opponent was waiting for me to advance to the third stage, so he left immediately after I advanced. However, this is just my guess, and it's unlikely to be true.
In reality, how could a villain be like the ones in novels, teasing the protagonist without killing them, just waiting for them to break through?
Oh, I also found this at the scene."
Yang Ming pulled out a dark gold metal playing card from his pocket.
The card was slightly damaged, but one could still make out the words "Ace of Spades" on it.
"Ace of Spades? This is a playing card made from Mind Steel!" Wang Dehai stared at the card, lost in thought. He made numerous connections in an instant and finally said after a long pause, "If this card belongs to Ying Gui, then the situation is serious.
Because this could very well indicate that the Shadow Trickster isn't a supernatural being, but a Spirit Tamer—and one with a massive organization behind them."
"Could it be that Fang Xiu is also part of this organization?" Yang Ming suddenly suspected.
Wang Dehai shook his head. "No, the ability to foresee the future is extremely valuable in any organization. No one would be willing to let Fang Xiu act as a spy.
Someone with his talent is best suited to stay in the rear to predict the future. And no matter what power is behind the Shadow Trickster, they are definitely enemies of the Investigation Bureau. Since they are enemies, there's no reason for them to have Fang Xiu call you to warn you. Bai Qi's death aligns with their interests.
Yang Ming, your primary task now is to investigate the Shadow Deception. If there truly is such a hidden organization plotting against the Investigation Bureau, their threat could be far greater than the Shadow Deception itself."
"I understand. I won't let this matter rest. After all, Xiao Bai nearly died. No matter who is behind this, I will investigate it to the end." A flash of intense determination crossed Yang Ming's eyes.
"By the way, what about Fang Xiu? Should we send someone to protect him? After all, his abilities are crucial."
Wang Dehai pondered for a moment and shook his head slowly: "No need. Currently, Fang Xiu's information hasn't been leaked, and the outside world will only assume he's a newly promoted spirit master with perception abilities, so they won't pay much attention.
But if we assign someone to protect him, he might end up drawing the enemy's attention, which would be even more dangerous.
Most importantly, the Shadow Deceiver's strength is no joke. If he decides to act, who in the Green Vine City Investigation Bureau besides you and Bai Qi could stop him? You and Bai Qi can't stay by Fang Xiu's side 24/7, or who will handle the strange incidents in Green Vine City?
So, everything should remain as usual. Treat Fang Xiu like a new spirit master, and don't send anyone to protect him. That's the best way to protect him."
.....
"Honey, I miss you so much."
His wife fluttered around Fang Xiu like a butterfly among flowers.
But Fang Xiu sat quietly on the sofa, examining the investigator's ID card in his hand, as well as the new work uniform and encrypted phone.
Then he picked up the black briefcase beside him, opened it, and revealed the densely packed dark golden coins inside.
Exactly two hundred coins.
These coins were uniformly dark golden in color, adorned with intricate patterns, and had a substantial weight and texture, though they were not large, being the same size as ordinary coins.
These were spirit coins forged from the Steel of the Soul, a metal capable of conducting spiritual energy, making them extremely valuable.
A single spirit coin could fetch hundreds of thousands, or even millions, on the black market, and they were often in short supply.
This wasn't because the coins were inherently worth that much money, but because few people were willing to sell them. Most spirit masters hoarded spirit coins to forge their own spiritual weapons.
After all, no matter how much money one has, it cannot buy one's life in the face of the supernatural, but spiritual weapons can enhance combat power and increase the chances of survival. This is something no amount of money can achieve.
Moreover, the casting of spirit coins is controlled by the Investigation Bureau headquarters. Under normal circumstances, they are prioritized for internal use, and only the surplus is released to the outside world. This is why the price of spirit coins remains sky-high on the black market.
This illustrates the immense value of these two hundred spiritual coins. Only someone like Yang Ming, as the team leader, could afford to part with such a large sum at once. For an ordinary spirit master, even selling themselves wouldn't be enough.
Yang Ming's monthly salary is twenty spiritual coins, the highest in the Green Vine City Investigation Bureau. However, the bureau offers additional rewards for resolving mysterious incidents, which are the real windfall. The stronger one's abilities, the more spiritual coins they can earn.
Even so, two hundred spirit coins are no small sum for Yang Ming.
In truth, Fang Xiu was well aware that while Yang Ming and Bai Qi seemed to be at odds, it was not difficult to infer that their relationship was actually quite close.
Yang Ming may have accepted his extortion partly to avoid letting Bai Qi know about the drugging incident, but more likely, it was an expression of gratitude.
Gratitude for being warned in advance, which prevented Bai Qi's death.
Looking at the spirit coins before him, Fang Xiu fell into deep thought, contemplating how to utilize the spirit coins in his possession.
Crafting armor?
He immediately ruled out this option, as his ability to resurrect after death gave him a high margin for error, making armor unnecessary. Moreover, two hundred spirit coins were insufficient to craft full-body armor.
That left only two options: crafting weapons or selling them.
Selling the spirit coins for money, then recharging them into the Global Strange Forum to obtain more information, understand the strange phenomena, and uncover the truth about the world.
Regarding crafting weapons, he already had a surgical knife, so his need for weapons was not high. However, since the surgical knife was a strange artifact and should not be easily exposed, a weapon was still necessary.
Two hundred spirit coins may seem like a lot, but it's insufficient to craft a weapon like a sword or knife. Fortunately, Fang Xiu doesn't plan to craft a sword or knife.
He finds the surgical knife convenient to use, and given the nature of his pain-based ability, he doesn't need a weapon with excessive destructive power. He only needs a weapon like the surgical knife—small, sharp, and capable of breaking through defenses.
After careful consideration, Fang Xiu decided to use the 200 spirit coins to craft a surgical knife—one that suited him and could also be used to conceal the existence of the mysterious device.
If there were any remaining coins, he would exchange them for money to purchase information.
As he pondered this, suddenly, knock knock knock...
The sound of knocking on the door echoed.