In a high-level martial arts game, a wife is given to you at the start.

"The Purification Department?"

"This is the department in charge of handling pollution-related anomalies," the steward said. "You've dealt with Black Wind Valley before, so you know the ropes. You're in charge now, with a generous monthly salary and unrestricted access within and outside the Holy City."

Lin Qiye was silent for a moment: "Give me two days to think about it."

"Very well." The deacon stood up, giving him a meaningful look as he saw him off. "Mr. Lin, the aura you carry reminds me of an old friend."

Lin Qiye paused, but didn't turn around: "You jest, Deacon."

He stepped out of the side hall and stood beneath the towering pillars of the temple, his gaze calm.

The emblem is a sun-shaped, vertically aligned pupil. It is a symbol missing a corner.

Department of Purification.

The temple door had finally opened for him.

He neither immediately agreed nor refused.

He first returned to Qing Shi Lane, carefully putting away the nameplate, guarantee, and map one by one. Then he sat down by the courtyard, pondering how to make this move.

The Purification Division can obtain information about the core of the Temple, but it may also expose his true nature.

That night, he went to the Dark Viper's territory.

It was the same Chen's Cloth Shop. The portly shopkeeper's smile froze for a moment when he saw him push the door open, then he plastered on it: "Sir, it's so late, are you buying cloth?"

"I'm not buying," Lin Qiye said. "I'm going to talk to your boss."

"We're just a small fabric shop here—"

Lin Qiye raised his hand and pressed a button on the counter.

The solid wood cabinet split in the middle, collapsed silently, and turned into a pile of sawdust. The fat shopkeeper's smile vanished completely. He swallowed hard, turned, and went into the back room.

Not long after, the curtain of the back room was lifted, and a woman came out.

She was in her thirties, wearing a dark blue, narrow-sleeved long gown, her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, her face expressionless. Holding a cup of tea, she walked to the ruins of the counter, not even glancing at the pile of wood chips, placing the tea on the table before looking up at Lin Qiye:

"Break my counter, are you trying to establish your authority, or do you want to discuss business?"

"It's up to you," Lin Qiye said. "If we can reach an agreement, then it's business. If we can't, then it's about establishing authority."

The woman looked at him for a few moments, then suddenly smiled: "Interesting. Mr. Lin from the western district of the outer city, a hero of Black Wind Valley, your name has spread faster than the wind these past two days."

"Then there's no need for introductions," Lin Qiye said. "I need to ask you something."

"explain."

What is the relationship between Dark Viper and Blood Raven?

The woman's expression remained unchanged, but her fingers paused on the teacup for a moment.

"Blood Raven is Blood Raven, and Dark Viper is Dark Viper," she said. "Each runs their own business."

"But Blood Raven's men have been to your cloth shop," Lin Qiye said. "I saw it with my own eyes."

The woman remained silent for a moment.

She neither denied nor admitted it, but simply picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Mr. Lin, there are some things that knowing won't do you any good."

"The thing I'm least afraid of is knowing a lot," Lin Qiye said. "The person behind Blood Raven is in the Temple. Whether Dark Viper is related to him or not, I'll find out sooner or later. I came here today to tell you—"

He paused, then said calmly, "Don't choose the wrong side."

The woman paused, her hand holding the teacup still.

After Lin Qiye finished speaking, he turned and walked out. He stopped at the door, but didn't turn back: "Oh, by the way, I'll compensate you for that countertop. I'll have someone bring the money tomorrow."

He pushed open the door and went out.

Behind her, the woman put down her teacup, looked at the pile of wood shavings, and for the first time, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

Three days later, Lin Qiye went to the temple to report back.

He accepted the job as the head of the field affairs department of the purification office.

The temple deacon didn't ask any further questions and had someone lead him to complete the formalities. The Purification Department was located in a side courtyard of the temple, a row of old, dusty houses with a faded wooden sign hanging at the entrance. The courtyard was piled with miscellaneous items, making it look more like an abandoned warehouse than a government office.

Si Zheng was an old man with only one arm.

Ancient dust.

Lin Qiye stopped in the courtyard and looked at the old man who was squatting against the wall smoking. The two looked at each other for a moment.

Gu Chen tapped his pipe, grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth: "Yo, we meet again. What did I tell you about the undergrowth at Dry Bone Ridge? The waters of the Holy City run deep. And you, you've plunged right in."

"Fish can only be found in deep water," Lin Qiye said.

"Alright." Gu Chen stood up, brushing the dust off his robe. "Once you're here, get to work. The Purification Division doesn't handle personnel matters, they only deal with dirty things. Come with me, let's look at the files first."

He led Lin Qiye into the main room and pushed open a door covered in dust.

Three walls of the room were lined with shelves, piled high with files, some yellowed and brittle, others smelling musty. Gu Chen casually pulled out a file and tossed it to him: "These are records handled by the Purification Division over the past ten years. Take a look first, then we'll talk."

Lin Qiye took the file and turned to the first page.

The record above states an unusual event: on the outskirts of the Canggu Mountains, the ash layer experienced an anomaly, resulting in the deaths of seven people.

He turned the page.

Once again: An anomaly in the source energy direction of Black Wind Valley, eleven people missing.

Turn it over again.

At the Bone Ridge, strange beasts gathered, resulting in over thirty casualties.

Near the sealing point at Falling Star Beach, unusual activity occurred, resulting in nine deaths.

Old Dragon Abyss, Valley of No Return, has records of strange occurrences every year, and people die every year.

Each page represents a human life, and each page points in the same direction—seven sealed points are being pried open one by one.

He closed the file and looked at Gu Chen: "Has the Temple seen these records?"

Gu Chen took a drag of his cigarette, his expression obscured by the smoke: "I've seen it. Then, of the previous directors, one died suddenly, two disappeared, and another was demoted to guard a mine. This arm of mine was taken during that investigation."

Who did it?

"I don't know," Gu Chen said, "but I do know that the Purification Division has been being dismantled for the past ten years. Now, all that's left is me, the head of the division, and you, the assistant head."

Lin Qiye remained silent for a moment.

"Then I'll look at the files first," he said. "I'll read through the files from the last ten years."

"See?" Gu Chen said, stopping at the door without turning back. "Kid, the waters of the Purification Division are deeper than you think. Once you've entered this door, you won't be able to get out."

"I don't plan to go out," Lin Qiye said.

Gu Chen paused for a moment, then waved and walked out.

The smell of smoke lingered in the wind in the courtyard.

Lin Qiye sat in the room filled with files, opened the second volume, and began to read them one by one.

This observation lasted for three days.

Over three days, he thoroughly reviewed the Purification Division's records for the past ten years. He memorized the location, time, and casualties of every anomaly. The frequency of anomalies at the seven sealed points was not random—it seemed to follow a pattern: after one point experienced an incident, the next point would only experience an incident after a certain period of time.

The pattern was like someone was knocking in sequence.