Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

On the way, Shen Zhen glanced back at Cai's Steamed Bun Shop.

He thought of the manipulated diners and the owner's miserable state as he was consumed by his disgust, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

These bizarre beings survive on human instincts, yet they twist those instincts into destructive forces.

And I always seem to be able to find their weaknesses.

"Team Leader Lei," Shen Zhen suddenly spoke up.

"Why do you think these things rely on only one instinct?"

For example, the monster on the stage relies on emotions, while the steamed bun shop relies on appetite.

Lei Lie paused for a moment, then pondered:

"It may be because they are flawed products born from the influence of divine emotions, and can only barely maintain their existence by grasping the most basic human instinct."

Shen Zhen still had some doubts, but he didn't dwell on them.

Upon returning to the Purification Division of the Funian Temple, Lei Lie first reported the situation and asked Shen Zhen and the others to wait outside.

A moment later, Lei Lie's voice came out:

"Shen Zhen, come in."

Upon entering, one sees Master Ling Buyu standing in the hall.

Dressed in a black uniform, expressionless, holding a document in his hand, Lei Lie stood to the side, his brows slightly furrowed, clearly indicating that the report he had just given was not easy.

"You all did well," Ling Buyu said calmly, then looked at Shen Zhen:

"Especially Shen Zhen,"

The cases of Ge Ming, the Ghost Play case, and Cai Ji Baozi Shop were all handled very well, better than expected.

"I've reported your points on the Heavenly Ranking. With this reward, it's enough for you to exchange for two Concentration Incense sticks and a bottle of Mortal-Rank Mind Dust Liquid."

"Promote him to the second rank as soon as possible; the Purification Division lacks someone capable of handling things independently."

"Thank you, Master!" Shen Zhen felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

He glanced at Lei Lie, who secretly mouthed "don't worry" to him, clearly having said a lot of good things about Ling Buyu.

The Mortal-Rank Mind-Dust Liquid is suitable for first to third-rank Spirit Masters, making it just right for him.

"You deserve this," Ling Buyu said, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

"Also, Lord Wang Juan of the Ceremonial Office said he needs to see you. Please bring him the clues about the markings you discovered as well."

Then he turned to Lei Lie and said:

"The Chief Celestial Official is also aware of the situation and has instructed you to go to the main hall immediately upon your return. He wants to personally understand the details of the incident."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Shen Zhen, Lei Lie, and the others accepted the order.

Ling Buyu turned to walk into the inner hall, then suddenly stopped:

"Lei Lie, keep a close eye on the recent Nianchen Liquid from Shen Enku."

A few days ago, one of the team members who received the first batch of drugs experienced a disruption in their psychic abilities after using it and needed several days to recover.

Lei Lie's expression hardened: "Yes, Master."

After leaving the Cleansing Department, Lei Lie led Shen Zhen and the others quickly toward the Divine Grace Treasury, muttering curses under his breath:

"No wonder Chief Ling's expression was off earlier. That old bastard Jin Wanquan dared to tamper with the resources?"

Check carefully later, don't take any defective goods.

Shen Zhen's heart skipped a beat. Was there something fishy going on here?!

"Team Leader Lei, does Jin Wanquan really dare to do this?" Ren Fei asked in a low voice.

Lei Lie snorted coldly:

"We'll follow the rules. If there's a real problem, even the Emperor himself can't protect him."

"That's right," Miao Erhu replied.

"No matter how capable Jin Wanquan is, can he really control everything?"

Fu Gang, Wei Bao, and Lu Dan nodded in agreement.

In less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the group arrived at the Divine Grace Treasury.

Jin Wanquan, the treasury supervisor of Shen'en Treasury, was a short, thin middle-aged man. Seeing the second team enter, he quickly stood up and smiled:

"Team Leader Lei, what a rare guest!"

Then he praised him and the other team members.

Finally, looking at Shen Zhen, his face was sincere:

"Especially young Brother Shen Zhen, so capable at such a young age, he'll definitely be able to join the Zhennian Hall in the future!"

"Old Jin, stop talking nonsense and get the goods." Lei Lie tossed him a permit.

"I need the latest batch of Nianchen Liquid. I heard that a group received something wrong with their shipment a few days ago."

Jin Wanquan's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal in an instant. He reached out and took the approval slip:

"Look at what Captain Lei is saying, how could there be any problems with the goods from the Divine Grace Treasury?"

The latest batch just arrived in the warehouse yesterday. I'll get it for you now, but it's located at the very back, so it'll take a while.

As he spoke, he walked into the storeroom. A moment later, he slowly took out a bottle of amber-colored liquid, and then picked out a dozen or so incense sticks for calming the mind.

Distribute them to Lei Lie and the others, saying:

"This is your calming incense."

And here's Shen Zhen, little brother, take this, it's your Nianchen Liquid.

This is the latest date; may this bring you good fortune and smooth sailing in your future advancement to the second tier.

Ren Fei, Miao Erhu, and the others received the Mind-Concentrating Incense and looked at the Mind-Dust Liquid in Shen Zhen's hand with great envy.

Shen Zhen took the two items. The bottle of Nianchen Liquid was engraved with the words "September of the 18th year of Ningxi", and it looked brand new.

He subconsciously activated a wisp of his mental power.

The dormant despair within him stirred slightly, but the movement was so weak and fleeting that he dismissed it as his imagination and didn't think much of it.

The mental energy flowed smoothly and unimpeded in the Mind Dust Liquid, even with a very faint sense of affinity, which dissipated in an instant without any abnormality. It seems that this bottle of Mind Dust Liquid is fine for the time being.

"What's wrong?" Lei Lie asked immediately when he saw him lost in thought.

Just as Shen Zhen was about to speak, Jin Wanquan immediately interrupted:

"Is this your first time receiving the Mind Dust Liquid, little brother?"

"This thing is precious, I can't bear to put it down, haha!" He laughed loudly, but dared not look Lei Lie in the eye.

Lei Lie ignored him, took the bottle, and first used his telekinesis to examine it, but found nothing wrong.

Then I examined the bottle again and again. The writing on it was neat and the beeswax seal was intact, but one character was written differently than before.

"Old Jin," Lei Lie said in a deep voice:

Why is there an extra dot at the bottom of the character "熙" (xī), making it five dots?

Jin Wanquan's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly explained:

"Yes, it was just the old craftsman's hand shaking during the engraving. It doesn't affect its use, really!"

"No impact?" Lei Lie sneered.

"That team member from the other day, they used this batch of your goods, right?"

Jin Wanquan, sweat beading on his forehead, quickly said:

"Captain Lei, you can't just say things like that."

"The items in the Divine Grace Treasury are all manufactured under the supervision of the Main Temple, how could there be a problem? It must be that the team member encountered a problem during his own cultivation."

Shen Zhen had also noticed the misspelled character, but since he hadn't found anything unusual during his investigation, he hadn't given it much thought.

It was only when Lei Lie brought it up that he realized things weren't so simple.

Lei Lie didn't press the matter further, turned and walked out, leaving behind a remark before he went out:

"We'll take this bottle first. If there's any problem, we'll go to the main temple to settle the matter."

Jin Wanquan dared not argue any further, and simply nodded in agreement.

On the way back to the Jingxie Division, the team members looked at the Nianchen Liquid in Shen Zhen's hand with envy. Miao Erhu jokingly said:

"Xiao Shen, that's great!"

"I actually managed to get the Spirit Dust Liquid! This will be a huge help in advancing to the second tier!"

"Just lucky," Shen Zhen replied with a smile.

"If everyone works hard to accumulate points, they can all get the resources they want," Lei Lie reassured them.

His expression was far from relaxed; the instructions he had just received from Ling Buyu had left him frowning.

"Team Leader Lei, is something wrong?" Shen Zhen keenly sensed.

Upon hearing this, Ren Fei seemed to suddenly remember something and asked in a low voice:

"Team Leader Lei, I heard the department is recruiting new people, is that true?"

"Yes, the recruitment is true," Lei Lie said in a deep voice, gazing at the horizon outside the window.

"Recently, signs of instability in the heavens have become increasingly frequent, with strange cases breaking out one after another in several neighboring counties. The Jingxie Division is already short-handed."

The main temple has issued an order that all local exorcism bureaus must replenish their ranks with fresh blood.

We need to add more people here too.

Shen Zhen's heart skipped a beat.

Although he is now a first-tier Divine Blesser, he sometimes struggles to deal with aberrations alone due to manpower shortages.

Having more reliable teammates would provide more layers of protection for future missions.

"When is the assessment?" Shen Zhen asked.

"Tomorrow, at the Jingxie Division's martial arts arena." Lei Lie raised an eyebrow.

"With Instructor Iron personally overseeing the operation and the Commander's order, the new recruits who passed the assessment will be immediately assigned to the emergency response team."

"You've done a lot of work, kid. Chief Ling is making you his assessment assistant, and afterwards you'll be leading a new recruit team."

"What? Xiao Shen is mentoring a newbie?" Miao Erhu was taken aback.

"Yes, there's no time for them to gradually adapt," Lei Lie said decisively.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

Shen Zhen's heart sank slightly.

Strictly speaking, I am still a newbie myself. It is extremely risky for a newbie to lead another newbie in handling strange cases.

But orders are orders, and the current shortage of manpower is an undeniable fact.

"Yes, Captain Lei." Shen Zhen agreed and then prepared to head to the Ceremonial Office.

At that moment, a commotion broke out ahead.