Chapter 55: Shadows of Doubt

Ling Ji remembered Zhao Jiong mentioning a missing raccoon demon. She looked at the unconscious creature behind her. "Is this him?"

Hu Li nodded. "Yes, my lady. Could you watch over him for a moment? I'll call Si Konglang to come over."

As a friend, she felt obliged to help Si Konglang with his task. It would also give her leverage to ask for his help in the future.

"Sure, you go ahead," Ling Ji agreed without much hesitation, finding nothing better to do.

Hu Li made the call to Si Konglang and then teleported away with Ying Ning and her daughter.

"Do you recognize this human?" Ling Ji pointed at the remaining caged person, who promptly fainted after hearing her question.

Ling Ji looked at the unconscious duo, both human and demon, and decided to move on. "Didn't you perform rites for the souls captured in the soul-refining flag? Why are there three left?"

"These three have strong attachments and connections, making the usual rites ineffective. We need to dissipate their resentment and attachments first," Kongjing explained, his eyes filled with compassion.

"My lady, this one appears to be Mo Baobao," Xing Miao identified a faint soul.

"And this one seems to be Li Xiao, who died in a car accident," Bai Luan observed another soul.

Li Xiao, though from a declining family, had been seen at business gatherings, always flaunting a different female companion each time.

"Ling Ji, this one looks like... Li Xuan?" Yu Zhiyan added, hesitant but recognizing the familiar features.

Ling Ji raised an eyebrow. Mo Baobao, Li Xiao, and Li Xuan—victims whose cases had recently made headlines—were all here together.

"You know them? That's great," Kongjing said, pushing the three spirits forward. "These ghosts have been influenced by the resentment and hostility in the soul-refining flag. Their souls are unstable, and their minds unclear. They need soul-nourishing wood for recovery."

"Especially Li Xuan. Her mind is nearly lost. It's uncertain if she can recover," Kongjing continued.

"She should," Xing Miao said, noticing the siblings holding hands tightly. "Even in their confused state, she still protects her brother."

"Let's hope so," Yu Zhiyan sighed, recalling how Li Xuan had once studied painting with her father. Though her father only taught those with exceptional talent, Li Xuan had made a lasting impression.

Ling Ji, hearing Yu Zhiyan's sigh, extended her hand to Kongjing.

Kongjing was puzzled. "What?"

"Give me the soul-nourishing wood," Ling Ji demanded.

Kongjing blinked in disbelief. "I don't have any. That's why I brought these ghosts to you."

Ling Ji was unfazed. "You might not have it, but the Special Management Bureau does."

Seeing Kongjing about to argue, Ling Ji added, "You also keep a ghost there, and it's well-respected."

Kongjing sighed in defeat, realizing she was right.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious hot spring resort in Pengcheng, a man in a tuxedo poured wine for another lounging in the pool. "Mr. Mo, Gao Buhann is finished."

"Oh," came the lazy reply from the man amidst the smoke, his voice smooth as a cello's hum. "It doesn't matter. He wasn't a critical piece."

"But his soul-refining flag contained Zhao Boshan's wife's spirit. I'm concerned..."

The man in the pool raised an eyebrow, silencing the tuxedoed man. "Understood, sir."

"Leave," Mr. Mo said, swirling the wine in his glass, the red liquid reflecting in his sharp, narrow eyes. "Humans are insatiable. They never know when to stop."

He licked his lips, a sinister smile forming. "Candle Dragon... I'd love to see you in action."

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Early the next morning, Zhao Jiong knocked on Ling Ji's door, holding breakfast and soul-nourishing wood.

Entering the room, he first presented the breakfast and then handed the wood to Xing Miao. "How are the three ghosts?"

Xing Miao shook her head. "They know nothing."

Zhao Jiong's eyes filled with disappointment. "I hoped Mo Baobao would have some information."

"What about Li Li? Any useful leads?"

Zhao Jiong shook his head again. "Nothing."

"But he did say Mo Baobao drugged him, and he woke up in that cave. Then it was daily bloodletting and replenishing," Zhao Jiong recounted.

"And the girl with Li Li has been notified. Like An'an, she's also a pure yin body."

When paying the hospital bills, Zhao Jiong noticed the similarity in their birth details, leading him to a revelation.

"Twenty years ago, Gao Buhann was on the Bureau's wanted list for illegal soul extraction. He's been on the run since," Zhao Jiong explained. "Every ten years, his technique requires three pure yin women to stabilize his soul-refining flag."

"How did he find out about An'an and Zeng Jia's birth details?" Ling Ji wondered.

"With modern technology, finding birthdates isn't hard," Zhao Jiong said, pondering. "But exact birth times are known only to close relatives and hospitals."

"Which means he has an accomplice in the hospital," Xing Miao concluded.

"Indeed, and I have a suspect," Zhao Jiong said. "Bai Nian."

Yu Zhiyan had called earlier to inform them that An'an was recovering. An'an had seen an aunt fall and tried to help, losing consciousness afterward.

That woman was Bai Nian.

"Come in," Ling Ji said, opening the door as Bai Luan arrived with a file.

"You were expecting me?" Bai Luan asked, distributing the file's contents. "Bai Nian was released two years early for good behavior, then worked as a janitor in multiple hospitals."

"She changed hospitals every three to six months, working in six hospitals over two years."

"I wondered why she'd take a job she despised. Now it makes sense," Bai Luan said. "She wasn't interested in cleaning; she was gathering birth data."

"We need to act fast," Zhao Jiong urged. "We can't fall behind again."

"I've taken her to the Bai family's old house," Bai Luan said. "She's my father's illegitimate daughter, so I used the pretext of a family visit."

This way, they could monitor and protect her, avoiding another silenced witness like Li Xiao.

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