No sooner has one performance finished than another begins

The inner hall was pitch black, the air thick and stagnant like congealed glue.

Shouzhen slowed his breathing, each step taken with utmost caution, as if afraid of disturbing something unseen.

The faint creak of the floorboards beneath his feet pierced the dead silence like a needle.

Just as he prepared to investigate in the darkness, a beam of light suddenly cut through from behind him.

"Daoist Shouzhen, playing hide-and-seek alone isn’t much fun."

Liu Zheng’s voice carried its usual hint of playful mockery as he waved a high-powered flashlight.

"Still lacking experience, I see. Cultivation alone won’t light your way."

Though his tone was teasing, his movements were swift and precise. The beam of light swept efficiently across every corner of the inner hall, outlining the walls, ceiling, and bookshelves in stark relief.

Only after thoroughly scanning the surroundings did he call out, "Old Bai, is there a circuit breaker outside? Turn it on."

The capable man outside the curtain quickly located the breaker near the rolling shutter door.

"Found it."

With a flick of the switch, the room abruptly lit up.

Two eerie crimson lights flickered to life on either side of the altar—lotus-shaped lamps, their bloody glow casting the ritual platform in a ghostly hue.

A moment later, the ceiling’s fluorescent lights flickered twice before emitting a dim yellow glow, dispelling some of the sinister atmosphere.

The inner hall was now fully illuminated.

"Whoa, fully automated? Now that’s attention to detail."

Liu Zheng stowed his flashlight back into the pouch at his waist, then dramatically sniffed the air.

"This smell... tsk, like using evil energy as air freshener. It’s practically marinated in here."

His gaze swept the room, but his brows gradually furrowed.

Aside from a few bookshelves and lamps, the hall was completely empty. The floor was spotless, gleaming under the light—no talismans, not even a single strand of hair.

Shouzhen ignored his jest and strode to the center of the hall, crouching down.

His fingertips brushed lightly over the tiles—not a speck of dust. Closing his eyes, he felt the lingering, oppressive aura of malevolence, like countless needles pricking at his senses.

"There’s no doubt," he said coldly. "Cursed objects were stored here for a long time, and not just one."

"Exactly. Thick enough to choke on," Liu Zheng agreed, his playful demeanor fading as he stepped closer.

"But where are they? Not even a trace left behind. Cleaner than a five-star hotel’s service."

No matter how hard he looked, Liu Zheng couldn’t find a single clue.

The place might as well have been an ordinary incense shop.

A wave of frustration washed over them.

Shouzhen couldn’t help but sigh.

"He anticipated we’d track this place down. Used the cursed artifacts as bait to lure us here, then left us chasing shadows."

Liu Zheng nodded, then shook his head.

"Yes and no."

Rubbing his chin, his eyes glinted with calculation.

"Making us waste time isn’t just for kicks. It means he’s stalling because he’s not confident facing us head-on."

The two stepped out of the inner hall one after the other.

Old Bai was leaning against the doorframe and straightened immediately upon seeing them.

"Find anything?"

"Nothing. The culprit must have some artifact that masks traces."

Shouzhen nodded, raising a finger.

"Only one thing can suppress and seal such concentrated evil energy—green jade.

Green jade repels evil and pacifies spirits. Only a jade casket could fully contain cursed objects without leaking a trace of their malice."

Old Bai’s brows shot up. "A jade casket? That’s not cheap, nor is it common."

"We’ll have to check the jade markets. A pure, intact jade casket is rare."

"And antique markets too, especially recent high-value transactions. If you want to hide something, you buy a safe first."

Without another word, Old Bai yanked the circuit breaker down with a sharp click, plunging the incense shop back into darkness.

He swiftly rolled the shutter door down and locked it, the entire process smooth and efficient, taking barely ten seconds.

The neighboring florist peeked out curiously, about to ask something, but the trio ignored him, melting into the crowd on the street until their figures vanished from sight.

Only after they left did Lin Mo and Xie Yuling emerge from a corner of the market.

"Were those people bad guys?" Xie Yuling asked curiously, glancing at Lin Mo.

"No, they’re the good guys. One’s a Daoist, the other two are special division police."

Lin Mo recognized Shouzhen, of course.

Back at the Pure Yang Temple, he’d spotted a young Daoist nearby but had easily clouded his senses.

That old Daoist was probably connected to Yanhuang Awakening too.

As for Liu Zheng and Old Bai, Lin Mo was certain they were from Yanhuang Awakening.

His divine sense was all-pervasive—he’d effortlessly located their identification.

"If they’re good guys, why are we hiding from them?" Xie Yuling still seemed puzzled.

Lin Mo shot her a sidelong glance, lips quirking.

"Why let them know? We’re just students—at most, a couple of concerned citizens."

Xie Yuling understood immediately, then grew excited. "So we’re investigating now?"

"Of course. They didn’t find anything useful, but that doesn’t mean we can’t."

With that, Lin Mo grasped Xie Yuling’s wrist.

"Close your eyes."

She obeyed, and the surrounding noise seemed to vanish instantly. A brief sensation of weightlessness struck her, but then her feet landed firmly on solid ground again.

"Open them."

When she did, darkness enveloped them, the air heavy with the scent of old incense ash and wood.

Lin Mo raised a hand, and a soft glow emanated from his palm, illuminating the entire incense shop.

Xie Yuling looked around in amazement. She wasn’t too surprised by Lin Mo’s ability to phase through walls—after all, he’d appeared in her room like that several times before.

But experiencing it firsthand was still a first.

"That spirit medium’s long gone, right?" Xie Yuling turned to Lin Mo.

He nodded.

"Right. This place is just a decoy left behind, probably to buy time."

Lin Mo casually picked up a wooden fish from the table.

Then, he activated his supernatural ability—Premonition.

The last time he’d used this was back at Chu Miaomiao’s home.

It was perfect for tracking an object’s owner.

He’d heard everything clearly—Yanhuang Awakening’s agents couldn’t locate the spirit medium directly.

But he was different.

Within the vision of Premonition, only darkness appeared before fading entirely.

"Huh?!"

Lin Mo slowly formed a question mark in his mind.

Premonition had failed?!

When a person’s future couldn’t be foreseen, there was only one explanation.

Xie Yuling noticed his reaction and leaned in nervously. "What’s wrong? Couldn’t find her?"

"It’s not that. The spirit medium probably isn’t the mastermind either."

"There’s someone else?!" Xie Yuling sounded slightly shocked.

"Unless I’m mistaken, the spirit medium’s already compromised. She might just be the delivery method for the cursed objects."

Xie Yuling pressed, "Then what do we do?"

"Keep looking. There’s got to be a clue here somewhere."