Chu Zhishui maintained a friendly demeanor, but she was flanked by two intimidating figures, one on each side, like cold-faced temple guardians. They cast dismissive glances at Old Bai, looking at him as if he were burnt slag that needed to be swept into a trash bin.
Old Bai nervously swallowed and spoke in a humble tone, "You see, I know my past offenses against you are unforgivable, but could you please show mercy and grant my final small wish..."
Chu Zhishui furrowed her brows and corrected him, "Don't call me 'sir,' just speak plainly."
She noticed these supernatural beings often carried remnants of old societal mannerisms.
Old Bai pleaded, "Yes, yes, I won't. Could you please help me check on someone?"
"Who do you want me to check on?"
"Her name is Chen Zhuhui. She's still a student, living in a nearby village. She's about to take the college entrance exam."
Chu Zhishui had expected Old Bai to beg for mercy or ask her to put in a good word with Miao Li, or perhaps request a transfer to labor reform in the tea garden. She hadn't anticipated this request.
Chen Zhuhui was a local high school student who lived with her grandfather in a self-built house on the village outskirts after losing her parents. Two years ago, her grandfather also passed away. The young girl was bounced around between relatives like a ball, but since she was already of legal age, she ended up living alone while preparing for her exams.
Old Bai had a connection with Chen Zhuhui's grandfather, who had once saved his life when herb gatherers nearly dug him up years ago. In recent years, he had been looking after the young girl, bringing her food and money to repay her elder's kindness. The tea garden at the bureau produced quality tea, and three spirits - white, yellow, and black - worked there. They secretly harvested and sold tea to supplement the girl's income.
Although Chen Zhuhui came from a poor background, she excelled in her studies and was a hardworking, kind child. In short, there was nothing wrong with her - if there were any problems, they were other people's issues (as Old Bai boasted). She must be worried since she hadn't seen Old Bai for so long, which might affect her exam performance.
"I used to bring her things regularly, but lately I've been too busy running from pursuit..." Old Bai hastily added, "Of course, I'm not saying anything against Master Miao. It's just that I haven't been able to look after her lately, and I couldn't properly say goodbye. I'm worried about her, so I was hoping you could visit her."
Chu Zhishui asked, "Why do you want me to go?"
"You seem like an intellectual, right?" Old Bai observed her scholarly appearance and ventured, "Someone educated who understands what the college entrance exam means. Maybe you could offer some encouragement to Zhuhui."
Having seen many people around the observation bureau, Old Bai felt that Chu Zhishui was undoubtedly well-spoken and refined, likely among the more educated humans. The young girl wouldn't be frightened of her, unlike the spirits from the observation department who enforced laws with violence.
Miao Li bared his fangs in a cold smile: "Are you saying I'm uneducated?"
Xin Yunmao twisted his lips in disdain: "With those front paws of yours, you probably can't even write properly."
"Why does Director Chu need to check on her?" Miao Li said impatiently. "It's such a trivial matter. We can just erase her memories and be done with it."
Old Bai frantically waved his hands: "No, no, no..."
"You're just being sentimental. Do you think any good can come from her association with you?" Xin Yunmao mockingly drawled. "You say you're helping her by giving her things, but you might be making her luck worse. Humans don't understand the rules, but shouldn't you know better?"
By giving things to Chen Zhuhui without receiving anything in return, Old Bai might have been doing more harm than good over time, potentially bringing her misfortune.
Old Bai argued desperately: "Her grandfather saved me! We have karmic ties - it won't affect her!"
"Her grandfather is gone, and so is that karmic connection."
Old Bai felt deep sorrow. His lips trembled before he finally said dejectedly: "Fine, the Supreme Lord is right. This is better for her. Let her forget about me."
Miao Li: "Good, now that that's settled, back to the furnace!"
Old Bai obediently stood up, his expression still mournful, as if his world had collapsed, leaving him in a daze.
Watching his lifeless expression, Chu Zhishui hesitated before sighing: "Excuse me, but don't dress up your criminal story in tragedy, making yourself seem like a pitiful spirit hindered by rules, and us like cruel persecutors. The bureau arrests spirits according to regulations."
"What's the address?" she asked calmly. "I'm busy these days, but I can go on the weekend."
"That's perfect! She stays at school during the week and only comes home on weekends!" Old Bai's eyes lit up with joy. "You're really willing to go?"
"Yes, not for you, but for her," Chu Zhishui said. "How unfortunate - it's bad enough that you stole tea leaves, but you did it for her. Just thinking about it brings bad luck."
Old Bai quickly provided the address and expressed his profound gratitude. This time he entered the furnace more willingly, even offering to sell ginseng popcorn to boost Chu Zhishui's energy, though she firmly declined.
With matters settled, one human and two spirits took the spirit elevator back up, greeting the gentle sunlight above ground.
"You're really going?" Miao Li asked as he showed them to the door, one hand on the handle and most of his body still inside. "There's no point in doing this. Let us handle it."
Chu Zhishui replied calmly: "Meaning is found after experiencing things. How can we talk about meaning before we've even tried?"
"I don't understand."
"It's like people who complain life has no meaning before they've even finished living it. It's too early to say."
Miao Li seemed partially enlightened.
Xin Yunmao raised his eyebrows arrogantly: "Ignorance is truly frightening. You don't understand anything."
"As if you understand?" Miao Li angrily exhaled, his cat paw pulling the door shut forcefully. "The Observation Department won't welcome you anymore!"
Since Chu Zhishui had work during weekdays, she decided to visit on Saturday afternoon, one of the few times Chen Zhuhui would be home.
The Huaijiang Observation Bureau was already in a remote location, but the self-built house was even further in the suburbs. Huaijiang City's rapid development had created stark contrasts - the urban district had facilities and housing prices matching developed regions, with various luxury commercial buildings, while the rural outskirts remained humble, retaining their pastoral feel.
Chu Zhishui had never driven so far before, so she decided to drive to the bureau first, then check the map there before continuing to her next destination.
Her private car hadn't been parked at the bureau entrance for long when suddenly the passenger seat was occupied.
Xin Yunmao had appeared without warning, calmly leaning against the car window, watching Chu Zhishui use her phone's navigation.
"When did you get in?" Chu Zhishui looked up and was startled by Xin Yunmao's sudden appearance. "I'm going to Chen Zhuhui's house. It's the weekend, so I'm not going to the tea garden."
Was he an otherworldly spirit who couldn't tell workdays from weekends?
Xin Yunmao remained silent for a long time. Like a stone-faced robot, he spoke stiffly, word by word: "I enjoy going for car rides."
"..."
During their last casual conversation, there had been two options: "thoughtfully accompanying her while driving" or "enjoying car rides." Xin Yunmao hadn't chosen either then, embarrassedly running away instead, but now he awkwardly picked one.
After a moment, Chu Zhishui shook her head, quite amused: "You're really good at saying the opposite of what you mean."
He replied awkwardly: "...We should go."
The car slowly started and entered the main road.
While driving, Chu Zhishui remembered something and asked casually: "By the way, since you're not officially part of the bureau, what's your salary?"
Master Miao had said Xin Yunmao wasn't part of the bureau, so perhaps he was under a different payment system. He was even working on weekends, which was more tiring. She hadn't known about this before - if he earned less than Jin Yu, that would be truly pitiful.
Hearing her mention contract work again, Xin Yunmao's expression changed rapidly, and he responded guardedly: "Are you trying to mock me again?"
He wouldn't fall for it this time; he'd noticed she had too many tricks up her sleeve.
"I'm just asking. How stingy of you. If you don't want to say, forget it." Chu Zhishui had been thinking about overtime pay, but seeing his apparent disdain for money, she reconsidered and said gently, "The scenery is all similar here. Next time I can drive you around the city."
The views along the way to the tea garden and Chen Zhuhui's house were quite similar. Since he enjoyed car rides, perhaps he'd be interested in seeing new environments.
Since he didn't seem to lack money, she might as well cater to his interests.
Xin Yunmao was stunned by her words. His lips pressed together, and after a long while, he made a barely audible nasal sound, either a "hmph" or an "mm," seemingly accepting her proposal.
In the distant suburbs, a simple self-built house came into view, with a small courtyard in front, enclosed by a crude wall. The gate of the courtyard was adorned with old Spring Festival couplets, the black brushstrokes not printed but handwritten, now faded by wind and rain.
Chu Zhishui parked her car to the side and checked the house number through the window to confirm it was correct before getting out.
Xin Yunmao followed her out, noticing she had taken a stack of books from the back seat. Curious, he glanced at them and found they were all exercise books.
The sound of rhythmic knocking came from the front yard.
"Coming!"
Chen Zhuhui, hearing the noise on the stairs, immediately dropped what she was holding and hurried to open the door. As the gate swung open, the "Grandpa Xu" she was about to call out stuck in her throat when she saw a man and a woman, both of whom were strikingly elegant but unfamiliar.
"Hello, are you Chen Zhuhui?"
"Yes, I am."
The leading woman was clear and gentle, while the man behind her was cold and indifferent, both out of place in the rural setting. Chen Zhuhui, seeing the faint black mist beside the man, was taken aback and at a loss.
While Chen Zhuhui observed them, Chu Zhishui also observed her. The girl had her hair in a ponytail, wore a school uniform, and had a plain face, possibly having rolled up her sleeves while working, looking like an ordinary high school student.
After exchanging greetings, Chu Zhishui handed the new exercise books to Chen Zhuhui and said kindly, "Old Bai... I mean, Grandpa Xu asked us to come. He has some things to deal with recently and may not be able to come to the village again. He wants you to do your best in the college entrance exam and get good results!"
Chen Zhuhui slowly took the exercise books, her voice getting softer as she looked down uneasily, "Sister, did something happen to Grandpa Xu? Or did he make a mistake?"
Chu Zhishui was taken aback.
"Please come in, sit inside," Chen Zhuhui suddenly remembered something, pushing the gate wide open and inviting them in, "I'll get you some water!"
"Ah, no need to be polite..."
Before Chu Zhishui could stop her, Chen Zhuhui had already dashed back into the house, quickly preparing.
"That ginseng really has a slow mind," Xin Yunmao said, watching Chen Zhuhui's back, "This person has opened her eyes."
After being enshrined, Xin Yunmao could see more than other monsters. Every human has their own aura, like everything has different colors, forming different "fortunes." Chen Zhuhui clearly had something more than the average person.
Frequent contact between monsters and humans can disrupt the balance because the existence of monsters adds new colors to humans, either good or bad, the latter ruining the original fortune.
Chu Zhishui was surprised, "So she..."
"Yes, she knows he's a monster."
Xu Jiake thought Chen Zhuhui was an ordinary person, not realizing his cover was already blown, though the girl had never exposed him.
What puzzled Xin Yunmao was that Chen Zhuhui's color was too deep, not something a ginseng monster could cause.
A moment later, Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao entered the house. There were no large pieces of furniture, but the room was neatly organized. Chen Zhuhui had boiled water and quickly poured it, originally planning to brew tea but was stopped by Chu Zhishui.
Chu Zhishui: "Zhuhui, you mentioned something happened. Do you know anything?"
"Sister, you might not believe it, but I've been able to see strange things since I was little. It was very troubling at first, but I got used to it. It's just that adults think it's unlucky." Chen Zhuhui glanced at Xin Yunmao, hesitating, "Grandpa Xu is different from others, and so is the one with you..."
Xin Yunmao remained silent, casually leaning against a wall, standing behind Chu Zhishui.
"Once, I followed Grandpa Xu to the fields, and I saw him fall off a slope, his leg breaking off. But when I ran over, he was fine, thinking I hadn't seen him fall."
"..."
Chu Zhishui thought Old Bai really had a slow mind, treating the girl like a fool, which was why his cover was blown.
"Has he done something wrong outside? He's been giving me money these past two years, and when I refused, he sent things. I haven't touched them." She suddenly took out a wad of money, bills of various denominations, and urgently handed them to Chu Zhishui, "If he owes money, he can use these to pay, or tell me the amount, and I'll try to gather it."
Chen Zhuhui's life had been tough, and she had matured early, hearing about villagers being beaten for debts and illegal business being caught.
"Do we look like debt collectors?" Chu Zhishui didn't dare take the money, quickly waving it off, "No, no, it's related to money, but not entirely. There's another reason."
Hearing this, Chen Zhuhui turned pale, panicking, "Is there something even more serious?"
Chu Zhishui hesitated, "Zhuhui, you should know Grandpa Xu's identity is special. He's not human, and what he's done isn't against human laws, but monster laws."
"What monster law did he break?"
Chu Zhishui couldn't answer directly. Although Old Bai had attacked her, Chen Zhuhui hadn't done anything wrong, and some things shouldn't be told to a child.
"Is his mistake related to me?" Chen Zhuhui, seeing her silence, trembled, "Everyone says I bring bad luck to others, from my parents to my grandparents, and now Grandpa Xu..."
She had been despised by relatives due to her inexplicable ability. She had finally had a peaceful life with her grandfather and Grandpa Xu, but accidents kept happening, as if cursed.
Sometimes, she even suspected she was tainted with unclean things, otherwise, why did those around her always have bad luck?
Chu Zhishui was startled, then quickly replied, "It's not related to you."
"But..."
"It's not related to you. Regardless of the reason for the crime, it should be borne by the one who did wrong. As long as you haven't committed a crime or incited one, it has nothing to do with you."
Chu Zhishui's eyes were clear, her attitude firm. Her calm tone was strangely convincing, making Chen Zhuhui stop.
"Alright, don't punish yourself for others' mistakes. Grandpa Xu was afraid you'd worry and disturb your college entrance exam, so he asked us to come." Chu Zhishui held the amnesia potion in her pocket, saying gently, "However, he didn't know you could see monsters. Now you have a choice, whether to forget these things?"
Chen Zhuhui was stunned, "Forget?"
Chu Zhishui nodded, "Yes, forget about monsters."
Xin Yunmao suddenly spoke, "I can also make her blind, never seeing these again."
Chu Zhishui was surprised and looked back at him, then turned to Chen Zhuhui, patiently seeking her opinion, "What do you think? You also felt seeing monsters was troublesome. Do you need us to solve it for you?"
Chen Zhuhui was quite surprised. She had never thought this ability could be eliminated, something she had longed for as a child. If it were when she was young, she would have agreed without hesitation, completely cutting off from her unpredictable life.
Chu Zhishui waited for her response.
Chen Zhuhui lowered her head, her hands clenched on her lap, her knuckles turning white from the strain. After a long while, she softly said, "I don't want to."
"Although seeing is troublesome..." She glanced at them, gathering courage, "I don't want to forget these, I still want to see Grandpa Xu."
Her voice trembled slightly, nervous that she might anger the two in front of her.
Chu Zhishui was silent for a moment, then released the small bottle in her hand, nodding in understanding, "Alright, then we'll follow your wishes."
Chen Zhuhui didn't expect such a quick agreement, surprised, "You're not forcing me to..."
"How could we?" Chu Zhishui smiled, "You're not a criminal, we're a legitimate unit, of course, we don't use force, even arrests follow procedures."
Hearing the relaxed tone, Chen Zhuhui strangely felt at ease, murmuring, "Sister, are you really human?"
Chu Zhishui instinctively touched her face, blinking, "Can't you see? Don't I look human?" Maybe working with monsters had changed her appearance?
"No, no, it's just that it's very magical, especially your job..." Chen Zhuhui stammered in a hurry, "It's quite special."
Chu Zhishui said naturally, "It was an accident that I ended up in the bureau. I heard you're about to take the college entrance exam, have you decided where to apply?"
"Not yet decided, the teacher said to go to a big city, like Yinhai City or something."
"Then welcome to apply to Yinhai City University, looking forward to us becoming alumni."
"…The scores are a bit high, I'll try my best."
Chu Zhishui casually chatted about everyday matters, completely relaxing Chen Zhuhui and making the atmosphere amicable and pleasant. She was good at conversation, and with her hard work during high school, she had quite a few common topics with the young girl, even offering some advice on filling out college applications.
Chen Zhuhui nodded repeatedly, quickly becoming eager for knowledge. Although she was as close as family to Grandpa Xu, she indeed couldn't consult him about human social experiences, especially matters beyond the boundaries of Huaijiang City. Now, she was exposed to a new window of opportunity.
Xin Yunmao silently observed the two women chatting, watching the flow of their auras, like a towering backdrop.
After a while, Chu Zhishui completed her mission satisfactorily and didn't linger any longer. She stood up and said, "Alright, we won't disturb you any further. Study hard at home."
Chen Zhuhui, though still eager to continue, was a well-mannered child and properly saw them to the door before returning home.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw the exercise book on the table, noticing it was brand new but without a plastic wrap. She flipped through it casually and suddenly found a white envelope tucked inside. The envelope had an eye-shaped icon printed on it and felt quite heavy in her hand. Opening it, she found pink banknotes inside.
Chen Zhuhui was startled.
At the courtyard gate, Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao had already gotten into the car, preparing to turn around and leave the small building.
"Sister, I can't take this money, I have applied for subsidies!" Chen Zhuhui rushed out with the envelope in hand, looking at the two inside the car, panicking, "Actually, all that money, you should take it back, and you definitely shouldn't give me more."
Chu Zhishui hadn't taken the money Grandpa Xu brought, and now she left new money behind, which just didn't seem right.
"Take it, if you really want to repay me, how about coming to our unit for an internship after the college entrance exam?" Chu Zhishui lowered the car window, gripping the steering wheel, encouraged, "Study hard, get into a good university, maybe you'll have the chance to meet someone you want to see again."
Unit internship? Someone she wants to see?
Chen Zhuhui paused for a few seconds, she originally wanted to return the money, but suddenly understood the hint, her eyes lighting up, her chest filled with an uncontrollable excitement, she said solemnly, "I will work hard!"
Chu Zhishui smiled, "We're leaving now, good luck with the exam."
Chen Zhuhui waved them goodbye, standing at the door, watching the car leave.
Chu Zhishui had agreed to come only because she thought the girl had the right to know, at least not to be completely in the dark, or have her memories erased directly. Human freedom isn't entirely determined by poverty or wealth, but more by whether one has the right to choose. Even if the result of the choice is bad, as long as it's one's own choice, that's freedom.
Old Bai's involvement in the tea garden incident brought about the "cause," but perhaps it should be left to the unwittingly involved Chen Zhuhui to choose the "effect" with her own will.
Inside the car, Chu Zhishui suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, will this disrupt the balance of the monsters?"
Xin Yunmao glanced at her as she leaned against the car window, focused on driving, her profile clean and smooth. She had a faint aura around her, basically merging with her own outline, without any impurities.
He had been certain from their first meeting that Chu Zhishui was an ordinary person without monster energy, but her aura was exceptionally clear, not tainted by any malice. This meant she was emotionally stable, with strong energy. If she hadn't joined the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, she probably wouldn't have encountered any supernatural incidents in her life.
Even if she felt negative emotions like worry, fear, or anger, she could quickly adjust and digest her state, even after interacting with Chen Zhuhui without any impact.
So when she initially called him, he was indeed confused. Once a person or monster had no desires, he couldn't understand them at all.
Still waters run deep, water benefits all things and remains calm. As a mortal, she was very weak, but in some aspects, she was very strong, even monsters couldn't maintain such a state for long, leading him to mistakenly think she was fond of him from the start, only to later find she seemed to be like this with everyone, always radiating warmth like a luminous body.
Although he initially did make a mistake, since she now acknowledged being his follower, he was different from other monsters.
"The law is normal, nothing is affected," he said with a slight smile, closing his eyes as if about to take a nap, "You letting her come might be a good thing."
In the tea garden, Old Bai stood before Chu Zhishui, looking disheveled, with inscrutable expressions from Xiao Hei and Xiao Huang beside him.
Hearing that Chu Zhishui not only hadn't scared Chen Zhuhui but also left the girl with study funds, Old Bai was almost moved to tears, regretting his past ingratitude and even having the audacity to attack Chu Zhishui.
Old Bai was on the verge of tears: "Madam, you are a great benefactor, your kindness, I will never forget—"
Xiao Huang held Old Bai down, forcing him to kneel, and said harshly, "What madam, you should call her Chief Chu!"
Xiao Hei chimed in, "Do you think the bureau is a gang? Do you know the rules? Chief Chu values equality the most, can you speak properly?"
Old Bai, facing the suddenly changed attitudes of his former allies: "?"
Old Bai, bewildered and unsure, looked up at the great benefactor, asking in confusion, "Madam, Chief Chu, what do they mean by this..."
Chu Zhishui smiled warmly, her tone soothing, "I gave Zhuhui a red envelope of three thousand yuan, can you earn three million for the bureau?"
Old Bai: "???"
"Don't you think I'm a naive fool, really moved by your third-rate sob story, planning to let it go?"
Chu Zhishui slowly looked around Old Bai, as if searching for where to start, she said kindly, "Sometimes fate is indeed unfair, you should be grateful for your true form, giving you a chance to atone, even easier than your accomplices."
Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei were ginger and Chinese yam, unlike Old Bai, they only made hard-earned money, not easy to get rich.
Adults should take care of children and then beat the bad guys to the ground, that's the right thing to do, the world will be a better place. Chen Zhuhui is a student, Chu Zhishui doesn't mind, but Old Bai is an old monster, so she doesn't need to be soft-hearted anymore.
Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei chimed in.
"Chief Chu, we'll take him to sell his body, use his earnings to fill the bureau's accounts!"
"Right, right, sell him hundreds of times, if not, sell him thousands of times!"
"What are you saying?" Old Bai clutched his clothes in panic, tripping over his own shackles, fearfully said, "I sell my skills, not my body!"
Chu Zhishui frowned, "What are you talking about, we are a legitimate unit, we sell ginseng."
The ginseng monster indignantly said, "What's the difference between selling my body and selling ginseng to me!?"
"……"
