Among the old archives preserved by the Spirit Warden Office, there existed a strange account recorded by an anonymous scholar many years ago.
The story spoke of a lonely woman whose husband had departed for war.
Left alone in her chamber, she spent her nights staring at the bronze mirror on her dressing table. With no one to confide in, her sorrow quietly turned into endless tears.
But as the months passed, something about the mirror began to trouble her.
The reflection she saw no longer felt entirely… hers.
Particularly at night.
When the oil lamp burned low and shadows danced along the walls, the figure inside the mirror seemed to stare back with an unnatural gaze.
Cold.
Watching.
Waiting.
She wrote letters to relatives and friends describing her fear, but none of them believed her. They blamed loneliness and grief for her imagination.
Until one night.
A metallic knocking sound echoed through the silent room.
Clang… clang…
The woman froze.
The sound did not come from the door.
Nor from the window.
It came from the mirror itself.
When she slowly raised her head, she saw the reflection inside the bronze surface twisting into a grotesque smile.
Then it began slamming its head against the mirror again and again—like a prisoner trying to break through the glass.
The woman screamed and fainted.
Afterward, she sought help from a wandering monk.
The monk examined the mirror carefully and eventually revealed the truth.
A Mirror Spirit had hidden inside it.
These creatures could perfectly imitate a person's reflection. Once someone locked eyes with the entity within the mirror, their soul would gradually be drained away.
Each stolen soul made the spirit stronger.
"You were fortunate to call for help early," the monk warned her.
"Another few nights, and your life would have been completely devoured."
Terrified, the woman begged him to destroy the mirror immediately.
The monk complied.
Thus ended the tale of the Mirror Spirit.
---
Huang Guangli's Bedroom
At that moment, Li Shen stood before a tall bronze mirror.
His calm gaze remained fixed on his own reflection.
Suddenly—
The reflection smiled.
But Li Shen had not moved.
Inside the mirror, the reflected figure slowly raised its fist.
Then it struck the mirror's surface.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Each impact sent thin cracks spiderwebbing across the bronze surface.
From within those cracks, dark crimson droplets began to seep out.
They slid slowly down the mirror like bleeding tears before dripping onto the floor.
Drip.
Drip.
The small puddle of blood spreading beneath the mirror made the entire room feel colder.
"AH—!"
Huang Guangli screamed in terror.
His legs buckled as he collapsed near the doorway.
But Li Shen did not move.
Instead, his eyes brightened with curiosity.
It had been quite some time since he encountered such a fascinating specimen.
A perfect opportunity for experimentation.
With calm movements, he drew a talisman from his sleeve.
It was one of his improved Spirit-Breaking Talismans.
Li Shen whispered a brief incantation before flicking the paper charm forward.
The talisman landed squarely on the mirror.
Instantly—
A brilliant flash erupted.
Radiant light burst outward, filling the entire room with golden brilliance.
A surge of righteous energy spread through the air like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Huang Guangli stared in stunned silence.
"So… this is the power of the Spirit Warden Office…" he whispered.
When he was younger, his father had often told him stories about spirit hunters who protected the world from demons and ghosts.
Heroes who walked through darkness armed with mysterious powers.
The boy had never fully believed those tales.
But now—
Watching Li Shen stand calmly within the glowing light, his robe unmoving as if touched by divine radiance…
Huang Guangli felt those childhood stories suddenly become real.
Moments later, the light faded.
The bronze mirror shattered into two broken halves.
Its surface had turned completely black, as though burned from within.
Li Shen stared at the fragments for a moment before sighing softly.
"That's it?"
He sounded slightly disappointed.
This Mirror Spirit had been far weaker than expected.
Pulling a small notebook from his sleeve, he began writing calmly.
---
Observation Log
Date: Year 23 of the Azure Calendar
Test Subject: Mirror Spirit – Estimated Minor Phantom Class
Experiment: Evaluating destructive output of modified Spirit-Breaking Talisman
Result:
Target eliminated in approximately three seconds.
Conclusion:
Against minor phantom-class spirits, the talisman's efficiency is excessive.
---
The Spirit Warden Office classified supernatural entities into several ranks according to danger.
From weakest to strongest:
• Minor Phantom
• Wandering Wraith
• Malignant Spirit
• Calamity Demon
Beyond these classifications existed a legendary category whispered in fearful rumors—
Spirit Monarchs.
Creatures said to command countless ghosts and plunge entire regions into chaos.
Among these ranks, Minor Phantoms were the weakest.
They lacked intelligence and posed little threat to trained wardens.
For that reason, Li Shen felt no pride in destroying the Mirror Spirit.
There was nothing impressive about defeating something so weak.
However…
A troubling thought surfaced in his mind.
If the enemy had truly been this weak…
Why had the Spirit Warden Office offered two hundred merit credits for the mission?
That reward was far higher than necessary.
The Office relied on skilled diviners to estimate mission difficulty.
Their predictions were rarely wrong.
Even Li Shen's own coin divination earlier had suggested:
"Obstacles first, resolution later."
Yet the fight had been almost effortless.
Li Shen slowly narrowed his eyes.
The estate was still saturated with heavy Yin energy.
Far too much for a simple Mirror Spirit.
Which meant…
The real danger had not appeared yet.
---
Outside the East Wing
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyu sat comfortably in a large wooden chair.
Her legs were crossed as she rested her massive saber across her lap.
She looked completely relaxed despite the gloomy surroundings.
In fact, she was waiting.
Waiting for Li Shen to shout for help.
In her imagination, true heroes always appeared at the perfect moment.
If she rushed in too early, how could she properly demonstrate her strength?
Only by arriving during the most critical moment could she truly look impressive.
As she pictured the dramatic rescue in her head, the corners of her lips curved upward in satisfaction.
Just then—
Li Shen stepped casually out of the room.
His robe remained spotless.
His expression looked calm, as if he had merely gone for a walk.
Behind him, Huang Guangli clung nervously to his sleeve, his face still pale.
Lin Qingyu frowned.
"You ran into trouble?"
"It's already finished," Li Shen replied.
"So quickly?"
"It wasn't that I was fast," he said with a faint smile.
"The spirit was simply weak."
Lin Qingyu immediately straightened.
"You scoundrel! You didn't even leave anything for me to fight!"
"I just learned a new saber technique last week and haven't even had the chance to try it!"
Li Shen chuckled.
"A spirit that collapses in one strike isn't worthy of your blade."
Lin Qingyu thought about it for a moment.
Then she nodded proudly.
"That's true."
At that moment, Madam Huang approached carrying two cups of tea.
She lowered her head respectfully.
"Wardens, thank you for helping my family. My husband's soul can finally rest peacefully."
Her voice sounded gentle and sorrowful.
But even while speaking about her late husband, her gaze briefly lingered on Li Shen's face.
Li Shen accepted the teacup with a polite smile.
Yet inside, his suspicions grew stronger.
The Mirror Spirit had only been a distraction.
A small appetizer.
The true danger still lurked somewhere in this estate.
He took a sip of tea before speaking calmly.
"There's no need to thank us yet, Madam Huang."
"Our work here isn't finished."
Madam Huang froze.
"What do you mean?"
Lin Qingyu and the young boy both looked at him in confusion.
Li Shen set the teacup down.
"The Mirror Spirit consumes souls," he said slowly.
"But it does not remove human hearts."
His gaze shifted toward Huang Guangli.
"This child told me his father died with his heart torn out."
He then looked back at the widow.
"So the real killer must be something else."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Am I wrong… Madam Huang?"
He paused before finishing quietly.
"Or should I call you by another name…"
"…Skin Weaver?"
---