I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

When the elevator stopped back at basement level three, the sound of water in Lin Ye's ears had not completely dissipated.

The sound was very soft, as if it were rising from the bottom of a deep well through a thick floorboard.

Han Xu walked out first, then glanced back at him.

"Don't keep thinking about negative nine."

Lin Ye rubbed his ear and followed.

"It's hard not to think about it."

Han Xu didn't reply, but led him through two security gates and deeper into the archives area.

Finally, Han Xu stopped at the door of a briefing room.

The doorplate only has a string of numbers.

B3-019.

Han Xu swiped his card, and the door opened.

The lights inside are off.

A long table, a screen wall, and a few chairs.

Shen Yan sat at the table, holding a paper file in his hand.

He looked much the same as he did that night in Qingcheng, with his shirt sleeves rolled up and a slight bluish tint under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept much either.

He didn't exchange pleasantries when he saw Lin Ye come in.

"Did you hear negative nine?"

Lin Ye sat down.

"I heard a little water."

Shen Yan looked up.

"Anything else?"

Lin Ye remained silent for a moment.

"woke up."

The briefing room fell silent.

Han Xu stood by the door without saying a word.

Shen Yan closed the file in his hand and tapped the cover lightly with his fingertips.

"This word has appeared more than once recently."

He picked up the remote control.

The screen lights up.

The first file pops up.

The photo shows an old well, its opening sealed with cement, surrounded by a cordon.

Shen Yan said, "Ten years ago, in a town in Jiangnan, white mist rose from an ancient well at night. Nearby residents dreamed of the same underwater city repeatedly, and upon waking, they could draw a similar city gate."

Switch the screen to the second image.

A broken sword lay in a specially made box, rusted so badly that its shape was almost unrecognizable.

Six years ago, a broken sword was unearthed on an old battlefield in the Northwest. Those who came into contact with it experienced auditory hallucinations and aggressive tendencies. One of them repeatedly said that the soldier had woken up.

The third photo is of an ancestral hall in a mountain village.

The memorial tablets were scattered on the ground, and there were burn marks on the beams and pillars.

"Three years ago, the wooden plaque of the ancestral hall in a mountain village in the south spontaneously combusted without fire, and the surrounding animals became agitated. Records were left at the scene, showing the animals stirring up the forest."

Shen Yan put down the remote control.

"These kinds of cases were rare before."

"It might only happen once every twenty or thirty years."

"Things are different now."

A national map appears on the screen.

The red dots gradually lit up, stretching from the coast to the northwest, from the mountains to the rivers.

Qingcheng is among them.

A red dot is flashing at the location of Black Locust Ridge.

Lin Ye looked at the picture without saying a word.

Shen Yan said, "The Green Mountain Xuan Gui, the Black Locust Ridge are all showing unusual activity, and the No. 1 Spirit Well in the Imperial Capital is fluctuating, all of which have been accelerating recently."

"The seven departments internally refer to this phase as the Spiritual Resurgence Period."

Shen Yan continued, "You can think of it as something that originally sank is now rising again."

Lin Ye asked, "Is the spiritual energy reviving?"

"It's not wrong to call it folk novels."

Shen Yan stared at the red dot on the screen.

"But it's not that fun in reality. There's no starting point with flying on a sword, and not everyone can build a foundation."

"Most of the time, it's the ancient well that's emitting mist, wild beasts going berserk, ancient artifacts going out of control, and people disappearing."

Lin Ye looked at the map.

"Is Qingshan just one of them?"

"right."

"Where is Hyun-gyu?"

Shen Yan changed the picture.

A photo of a fragment of Xuan Gui appeared on the screen, next to a structural diagram of the Qingshan Underground Tomb.

"The Xuan Gui is a spiritual artifact."

"To be precise, it is a fragment of a spirit-gathering artifact."

"It stayed underground in Qingshan for too long, turning that underground environment into an anomaly. So you can hear dead people talking in Qingshan, and you can also hear echoes underground."

Lin Ye looked up.

"Was my ability given to me by Xuan Gui?"

Not entirely.

Shen Yan said, "The Xuan Gui (a type of jade tablet) is like a signal tower."

"You're like a receiver."

"Even if the cell tower is gone, ordinary people still can't hear it. You're different. If you move to a different location and encounter a strong enough signal, you can still hear it."

These words extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Lin Ye's heart.

He had even wondered if, with Xuan Gui taken away and Qingshan quiet, he too could find peace.

Now it seems that's not the case.

The channel has just changed.

Shen Yan switched the screen back to the national map.

"Therefore, the Seventh Division needs you."

Lin Ye looked at him.

"Do you need me to listen for things that the instruments can't detect?"

"right."

Shen Yan answered very directly.

"But you can't tell right now which sounds are useful, which are just echoes, and which will mislead you."

"So you'll be training from now on."

Lin Ye asked, "What kind of training?"

"Learn to control it first."

Shen Yan paused.

"At least don't let your voice lead you astray."

Lin Ye nodded.

He understood what he was saying.

Now these ears are like an unlocked door, letting in any wind.

Shen Yan picked up another file and pushed it in front of him.

The cover features the Qingshan Underground Cemetery.

Lin Ye did not open it immediately.

Shen Yan said, "You must have something you want to ask about Qingshan."

Lin Ye raised his eyes.

"Where are Uncle Zhao and Lele?"

"It has been added to the protection list."

Shen Yan answered quickly.

"Zhao Shoushan has been temporarily transferred under the pretext of assisting in the investigation. Zhao Lele will be given a normal reason so as not to affect her life and school."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

The breath was very light.

But the weight on my chest did indeed shift a little.

"What about Qingshan Cemetery?"

"The lockdown will continue, and the seven sites will be cleared in batches. Ordinary people will not be allowed to get close."

Shen Yan looked at him.

"But I must tell you in advance that Qingshan will not return to what it was before."

Lin Ye looked down at the file cover.

Like before?

The night shift booth, Uncle Zhao's enamel mug, Old Li and Old Zhou arguing, Old Mrs. Zhao worrying about her son, Boss Wei bragging, Principal Chen telling stories.

Those sounds seem to still be there.

It's as if it has already sunk down with Hyun-gyu.

There was a knock on the door outside the briefing room.

Han Xu opened the door, took a new report, and handed it to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan glanced at it.

"Preliminary review of the Qingcheng escort route."

Lin Ye looked at him.

Shen Yan did not avoid it and placed the report directly on the table.

"Su Tinglan, Chen Jin, Bai Yuan, and Xing Shanhe have all been rescued."

"Those with the ability to zigzag were involved; copper nails were found at the scene."

"The other party is very familiar with our transit points."

Lin Ye asked, "Did the news leak out?"

Shen Yan glanced at him.

"It cannot be ruled out."

He turned the page.

"It's also possible that they had their eyes on the only possible route beforehand."

"But one thing is certain."

"They rescued Xing Shanhe not out of loyalty."

Lin Ye nodded.

Tomb raiding.

"right."

Shen Yan said, "The Candle Shadow Society not only needs people with superpowers, but also people who understand tombs, roads, and black market transportation."

Lin Ye stared at the red dot on the screen.

"Why are they stealing the magical artifacts?"

Shen Yan did not answer immediately.

He dimmed the lights a little.

Two columns of data appeared on the screen.

On the left is the data intercepted by the Candlelight Society.

On the right are seven sealed records.

"You're probably wondering the same thing: what's the difference between us and them?"

Lin Ye did want to ask.

Beneath the green mountains, Lai Changqing sought the Xuan Gui.

Seven places also require Xuan Gui (a type of jade tablet).

Lai Changqing collects the spiritual artifact.

Seven places also collect spiritual artifacts.

If the only difference is the color of the ID card, then this is utterly absurd.

Shen Yan seemed to know what he was thinking.

The difference isn't whether or not it's accepted.

"The difference lies in what you use it for."

He clicked on the information on the left.

Several blurry photos appeared on the screen.

Black altar.

Damaged jade artifacts.

A figure kneeling on the ground.

In another photo, someone's skin has faint gray lines, and their eyes are unusually bright.

Shen Yan said, "The Candlelight Society collects spiritual artifacts in order to gather spiritual energy, cultivate, and gain power first."

"They believe that the resurgence of spiritual energy will accelerate, and that normal social order will eventually collapse."

"So they need to become the strongest in the new order before a full recovery."

Lin Ye asked, "Do they want to live forever?"

"That's one of the goals."

"They still have power."

Shen Yan said, "And the qualification to define the future."

This statement sounds even colder than "rule the world".

It also looks more real.

Shen Yan then opened the information on the right.

A row of sealing numbers appeared on the screen.

"Seven places also collect spiritual artifacts."

"In order to contain the danger, prevent its spread, and avoid contact with ordinary people."

"Also, to cultivate people who can fight against anomalies."

He looked at Lin Ye.

"We don't pretend to be high and mighty."

"Seven places also use magical artifacts."

"But at least one thing is certain: we will not let the world of ordinary people be crushed by these things."

Lin Ye looked at the screen but didn't speak immediately.

For the first time, he clearly realized that the seven locations were not dealing with a single tomb.

Seven places are trying to suppress a world that is turning upwards.

The result of such pressure is predictable.

Shen Yan pushed a document towards him.

"Your basic training will begin tomorrow."

"Rest today, we'll do the second round of evaluation this afternoon, and then give a briefing tonight."

Lin Ye asked, "What if I change my mind now?"

"Can."

Shen Yan spoke in a very flat tone.

"Seven will arrange for you to stay in a regular protected residence, restrict your movement, and monitor you regularly."

"If the Candle Shadow Society contacts you, we will do our best to save you."

Lin Ye understood.

You can back out.

But changing your mind doesn't mean you can go back to the way things were.

The door is already open.

Even if someone turns away, they will be remembered by what is inside the door if they see something inside.

He took the documents.

"I undergo training."

Shen Yan nodded without saying anything more.

He pulled out the last file.

"Now that we've talked about the spiritual energy resurgence period, it's time to talk about them."

The screen dimmed briefly.

When it lights up again, a mark appears on it.

Black background.

In the center is a slender, vertical pupil.

The edges of the vertical pupils resemble candlelight, or perhaps the eyes of some kind of snake.

Lin Ye stared at the mark, his back involuntarily tensing up.

Shen Yan said, "The group of people underground in Qingshan belong to this organization."

Lin Ye asked, "Is this the Candle Shadow Society?"

Shen Yan nodded.

"Lai Changqing is merely the executor."

"Above that, there are even deeper levels."

He clicked on a page.

Several lines of text appeared on the screen.

Establishment date: Unknown.

Core members: Unknown.

Headquarters location: Unknown.

Known objectives: collect spiritual artifacts and train cultivators.

Lin Ye looked at the last line.

Cultivation of practitioners.

Shen Yan turned off the screen.

In the briefing room, only the lingering image of that vertical pupil remained in Lin Ye's eyes.

"They weren't just tomb raiders."

Shen Yan said.

"It's not about getting rich by selling antiques."

"They are waiting for an era to return."

Lin Ye did not respond.

This time, he heard neither the echoes of the green hills nor the sounds of the nine rivers.

But it was as if he heard something from further away.

That thing, hidden behind the red dot on the map, the sealed archives, the out-of-control magical artifact, and the vertical pupil of the Candle Shadow Society, is slowly rising upwards.

Shen Yan turned the light back on.

"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

"Candlelight Shadows Special Briefing"

"After you hear this, you will understand why Lai Changqing insisted on taking Xuan Gui away."

"You'll also know why they came looking for you sooner or later."

Lin Ye looked up.

"sooner or later?"

Shen Yan closed the file.

"Lin Ye, your abilities are special. To them, you're like a human probe searching for magical artifacts."

The briefing room fell silent.

The vertical pupil mark on the table was dimmed by the light.

Like an eye that hasn't fully opened yet.