Case Coordination Meeting Part 2

Tan Xiao had a flash of inspiration, "You also said that the logo and runes on it are no longer legible. If there's nothing on it, isn't it just a piece of large construction waste? Which department handles that?"

Mu Fei muttered, "Usually the sanitation department hauls it away."

"Then just have it hauled away first. As for the new seal, according to your rules, whatever type it is, just assign it anew. Why insist on haggling over the previous ownership? There was nothing there before, only construction waste."

As soon as Tan Xiao finished speaking, everyone thought: Oh no! This doesn't seem good!

Mu Fei patted her head, "Little bro, you really... You're suited to join our unit. That's right, that's right, it's not a demon-suppressing pillar, it's just construction waste."

With her saying this, the Taoist priests from those units had various expressions, quickly calculating in their hearts. It seemed that this way, according to the regional division, the responsibility would most likely fall on their own heads. "Director Mu, we should still clarify the whole story, right?"

"This demon-suppressing pillar, you've all sent people to appraise it, right?" After Mu Fei got affirmative answers, she said, "Everyone has appraised it, and each unit says it's not theirs. The carvings on it are illegible. If they're all illegible, on what basis are you calling it a demon-suppressing pillar? To hell with the whole story. Now, waste is waste, and seals are seals. Done! The unit assigned to this case is the sanitation department! Meeting adjourned!!"

Everyone: "..."

They really wanted to refute but couldn't say a word. In the end, they could only pick up their materials and return to their respective homes.

Tan Xiao even heard a Taoist priest say, "...Learned something. Next time if there's a wild boar demon corpse or something, I'll report it to the agriculture department to handle. If they call me, I'll just cremate it too."

Who knows if he should praise the priest for applying the lesson.

"Thanks, little bro." Mu Fei tidied up the documents and had Aperture stop those who hadn't signed in earlier to have them sign in.

"No problem. But this is really my first time observing a component-type case." Tan Xiao had been putting his learning into practice, all in catching demons and ghosts, which were event-type cases. It was his first time seeing a specific component-type case, although it was handled very casually.

"You know, actually before the influence of the Emperor's Essence, this was the majority of our unit's work." Mu Fei laughed, "Especially in China, we believe in leaving an out when doing things. Under the Dao of Heaven, everything has a thread of life, so many Taoist priests in the past only suppressed and didn't kill."

Tan Xiao knew this. Like Pan Longxiang of Qiyun Ridge, he and his fellow practitioners only captured demons and put them in a jar buried in the ground. The jar could break, and if it did, the seal would fail, but they still maintained the principle of only suppressing and not killing.

Back then, although Yunmeng Marsh was full of powerful demons, and there were even legends of a flood dragon causing trouble, they only forged a swallow-tailed iron shackle as a suppressing object.

"In recent years, our Bureau 404's system has become more and more complete, with a high level of technological development and a high degree of socialization among the demon tribes. We've also adopted the method of using labor instead of suppression.

"However, as time goes by, there are still many leftover component-type cases that need to be handled, including those recorded and scheduled, as well as many left by unnamed masters in the countryside that we need to actively discover."

Mu Fei said that the responsible units' evasion was largely due to insufficient manpower. There were too many things to handle, and this was even after expanding recruitment to include many folk sects and temporary demon workers.

Speaking of component-type cases, Mu Fei thought of Qiyun Ridge, "Remember the tomb-guarding beast said that a predecessor had also suppressed an object at Qiyun Ridge? After that, we kept searching ancient books and local chronicles, trying to find clues and clarify the situation. Otherwise, if word got out that our Nanchu Office didn't even have a grasp on what major formations or demons were in our own territory, wouldn't we lose face?

"But after searching books and investigating on-site, we actually came up with nothing. That predecessor's formation left no traces. We couldn't even find the altar location or the eye of the formation, let alone know what it suppressed or the suppression period. Truly formidable!"

Even with Huodou, they only dug up a suspected formation.

"Indeed impressive. I had investigated over there so many times before in order to deal with the Huodou, but never noticed anything amiss." Tan Xiao also couldn't figure out what powerful demon could be suppressed at Qiyun Ridge.

"So this case will have to be put on hold for now, to be investigated later when we have time or ability." As Mu Fei was speaking, her phone received a message. After checking it, she exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Good news, little brother Tan Xiao."

She showed the message to Tan Xiao - with the efforts of the task force, the last Huodou was successfully captured in another province tonight. With this, all twelve Huodou have been arrested!

Recalling when the Huodou first appeared in Nanchu, no one thought much of it. Later, the case was merged with the one in Qi Province and a national task force was formed for a nationwide hunt.

From initially only being able to lock onto the tracks of four or five Huodou, they gradually became more skilled. Plus, whenever the Huodou committed crimes, it was hard for them to avoid exposing their whereabouts. After more than half a year, with the efforts of Masters from various places, they were all finally arrested.

With this, it seemed the situation of demons fearing for their own safety could become a thing of the past.

"Only that sniper is left." Mu Fei had previously analyzed that this thing was likely a gun spirit. Weapons that turn into spirits are all extremely vicious things, so Bureau 404 also paid special attention to it. "I believe this thing also can't escape for long. Little brother Tan Xiao, the bonus points you're most happy about are definitely secured."

Of these, Tan Xiao alone had captured three. Based on how extensive this case was, Mu Fei judged from experience that bonus points were guaranteed. Seeing Tan Xiao grinning, she asked, "You don't think the points are too many, right? I see your grades are quite stable."

Tan Xiao paused for a moment and looked back at Kong Xuan. "My points are enough, but I always need to prepare some, in case I need to give someone a boost later."

With their situation, naturally if he had points, so would Kong Xuan. For him, the bonus was icing on the cake, but for Kong Xuan, it might play a considerably big role.

Kong Xuan originally didn't care about this human world contract at all and only signed it because Tan Xiao wanted to. Now thinking about it, Tan Xiao wasn't as enthusiastic about the bonus points in the beginning as he was later.

On the sports field, after finishing the 3000 meters, he charged out again without even catching his breath - that was 3000 meters!

"You, you were thinking of me..." Kong Xuan actually stuttered a bit, his eyes shining brightly. He didn't feel Tan Xiao didn't believe in him, only that Tan Xiao was thinking a lot for him.

After saying that, he even asked a bit unconfidently, "The 'someone' you mentioned is me, right?"

If Kong Xuan's family saw this, they would definitely be shocked. He even had times when he lacked confidence.

Kong Xuan had already made up his mind to study hard for Tan Xiao's sake and strive towards his goal. But when he heard Tan Xiao was also making plans for him, everything seemed to gain even more meaning.

"Besides you, who else could I boost?" Tan Xiao felt a little embarrassed being stared at by him and looked at the floor. "At the very least, we need to get into the same city..."

"Definitely the same school!" Kong Xuan felt words were too weak and didn't know how to prove it. Suddenly, he thought of a way. "I can write a pledge."

He remembered Ji Huiming had classmates write pledges before.

Tan Xiao couldn't help but be amused by Kong Xuan's tail-wagging action. Who would take the initiative to write a pledge? He lowered his head. "Oh come on, what pledge? Wait until you make a mistake to say that."

Seeing him always lowering his head, Kong Xuan also couldn't help but bend down and tilt his head to look, only to find Tan Xiao seemed to be laughing. What's so funny about laughing? It's not the first time you laughed at me. Kong Xuan found it quite strange.

"Hahaha, really." Tan Xiao raised his head and rubbed his eyes. "Just work hard."

What a memorable student era, Mu Fei said with a smile, "That's right, it's best to get into the same school and arrange for you two to be roommates."

Kong Xuan proudly said, "We are already roommates now."

As if anyone hasn't been to Tan Xiao's home. Mu Fei coughed. "Mm, that's a student dorm, with beds and desks, and you two will be head to head. I remember back then when I was scared watching horror movies at night, I always climbed into my roommate's bed to sleep. The bed was so small we squeezed together."

Kong Xuan: "...Oh."

Tsk, I slept there too, for a while.

......

Xiong Hui was still arguing with the Chariot group when suddenly the office door opened with a bang. Kong Xuan strode out, looking as if he was going to destroy the world, scaring them into shutting up. They didn't dare move and looked at Kong Xuan in horror.

What was he going to do?!

Kong Xuan looked at them fixedly for a moment, then walked over and very naturally kicked Xiong Hui away. He said to the sphinx, "You, ask me some questions!"

Sphinx: "?"

Kong Xuan stared at it, his blood boiling. Hurry up, give me questions!!

The Sphinx thought of the kick the peacock had given it before and said in horror, "You want to entrap me?"

Kong Xuan said impatiently, "Just ask when I tell you to."

The Sphinx had no choice but to reluctantly recite a couple of questions. Surprisingly, they were all key and difficult types. With its wisdom, it was a natural premium question bank.

And what's even better was that if there were questions he didn't understand, he could ask it and it could answer them all.

Xiong Hui crawled back, glanced at Kong Xuan resentfully. Mu Fei only now told it the truth it had been ignoring, "That thing's true form is a tarot card, not some subordinate Tan Xiao collected."

Xiong Hui was overjoyed, "Fortunately it was just a misunderstanding!"

On the other side, Kong Xuan turned to Tan Xiao and said, "You should borrow this thing. I think it's not bad for doing practice questions."

Xiong Hui: "............"