"Hey, Miaozhu, why don't we sleep together tonight?" Zhao Mumu suggested.
"Sister Mumu, I was planning to do some paper crafting later tonight," Song Miaozhu gently declined.
She had booked a private room and even brought an entire suitcase filled with golden spirit paper—specifically for her nightly practices.
Zhao Mumu, knowing better than to interrupt her cultivation, gave up the idea. "Paper art really is the best—you can take it anywhere! If I'd known, I would've brought my woodcarving tools too! But Miaozhu, it's getting really late—make sure you don't stay up too long!"
"I will!" Miaozhu promised. "Don't worry, I've got spiritual energy to keep me going!"
She had long since replaced sleep with spiritual circulation.
The next morning, Old Man Zhao noticed something peculiar at breakfast—the hotel's ambient spiritual energy particles had vanished. He scrutinized Song Miaozhu from head to toe.
"You didn't sleep last night, did you? Yet you look perfectly refreshed."
"Once you cultivate spiritual energy, you'll understand how amazing it is to replace sleep with it," Song Miaozhu said.
Sleep could be restless, but spiritual energy guaranteed peak physical and mental condition—every single time.
After breakfast, Zhao Huoyan arrived to take Old Man Zhao and Zhao Mumu to the SEIU Lingcheng's headquarters. Since the hotel's spiritual energy had been depleted, Song Miaozhu decided to tag along.
But the further the car drove, the more remote the road became—they were nearly at the outskirts of the city.
"Where exactly is this division located?" Miaozhu couldn't help but ask. "If we go any further, we'll be out of the city!"
"You know the Golden Rose Summer Villa near Dongshan Forest Park?" Zhao Huoyan replied. "It's there."
"The Golden Rose Summer Villa?" Miaozhu repeated, incredulous. "Why there?"
"Sounds nice though, doesn't it?" Zhao Mumu chimed in cheerfully. "I bet the environment there is beautiful!"
"Oh, it's beautiful all right…" Song Miaozhu said, her tone laced with irony.
"That name rings a bell…" Old Master Zhao frowned. "I don't recall there being a summer villa around Dongshan Park."
"Of course it sounds familiar! That place was abandoned over a decade ago!" Miaozhu said. "Last I heard of it was from a paranormal vlogger's exploration video."
"Abandoned?" Zhao Mumu was stunned. "Brother—what's going on?!"
"It was abandoned," Zhao Huoyan admitted. "But it's been renovated since. At the very least, it's livable now."
"That place was never clean," Song Miaozhu countered. "It was a massive investment project, super popular at first—then suddenly shut down after just two years. Who knows what really happened there?"
Old Man Zhao's memory sparked. "Ah, the coastal tycoon's resort! Wealthy clients used to flock there… until one day, it was deserted. Rumor was, the owner got arrested? And people said the back mountain was cursed—visitors always fell ill afterward."
Zhao Mumu paled. "Brother! Please tell me it's not another murder site!"
Seeing their imagination spiraling, Zhao Huoyan sighed. "Those are just rumors. The villa wasn't shut down for any crimes—the owner went bankrupt. The resort was unprofitable, so no one bid for it during the auction. It's just been sitting empty."
He gestured ahead. "But it's spacious and secluded—perfect for our unit. Everyone can cultivate without competing for spiritual energy. We've already cleaned up a few villas."
Zhao Mumu exhaled in relief. "As long as there's no murder!"
At the resort's entrance, two guards stood watch.
"They're from our division's logistics department—retired military," Zhao Huoyan explained.
Old Master Zhao nodded, then muttered with a frown, "Why does the mountain look so… hazy?"
"Hazy?" Zhao Mumu blinked. "The scenery's lovely, though!"
"Captain Zhao," Song Miaozhu cut in, her voice grave, "I suggest your unit relocate. Immediately."
"Wha—what do you mean?" Zhao Huoyan was so spooked by her tone he slammed the brakes and pulled over.
Miaozhu pointed toward the mountain behind the Golden Rose Villa.
"Look—under broad daylight, with the sun shining directly on it, the entire mountain is still shrouded in heavy yin energy. It's so thick it makes the mountain look gray and lifeless. Imagine what it's like at night.
Even the Yong'an Cemetery doesn't have this much yin energy. The resort itself isn't much better—this is no place for the living."
Her gaze sharpened. "Even cultivators would struggle. The spiritual energy particles are completely overrun and displaced. There's barely enough spirit power to go around—and constantly clashing with that much yin energy? That's a fast track to illness.
And those guards? They're already showing signs of illness. It's only because they're ex-military, with strong yang energy and good blood vitality, that they've lasted this long. Otherwise, they'd be bedridden by now."
Old Man Zhao gasped. "So that's why it looked hazy!"
Zhao Mumu squinted. "That mountain does seem darker… like it's covered in gray fog!"
Zhao Huoyan didn't hesitate—he immediately called to evacuate all logistics staff still stationed inside the villa.
Fifteen minutes later, all twelve ex-military personnel had gathered at the front gate, looking confused.
"Boss, what happened? We were still prepping the welcome ceremony for the new recruits!"
Zhao Huoyan shook his head and turned to Miaozhu. "Master Song, could you help examine them? Are their symptoms serious? What kind of treatment will they need?"
The logistics team: "???"
What symptoms?!
Miaozhu pointed at one of the men. "His leg's got something going on. Best get it checked at a hospital."
The man instinctively retracted his leg.
Zhao Huoyan noticed and understood immediately. "Old Zhang—your rheumatism acting up again?"
Old Zhang scratched his head. "Yeah… but it's not a big deal! It'll pass in a few days!"
"Go get it checked anyway," Zhao Huoyan ordered firmly. "Master Song, what about the others?"
"They just need some sun. They'll be fine," Miaozhu said.
Zhao Huoyan let out a relieved sigh.
"Captain, what the hell is going on?" someone finally asked.
"The mountain behind the villa is saturated with yin energy—it'll affect your health if you stay too long. We're relocating everyone back to the city for now. You'll all bunk at the station temporarily."
"Yin energy? But no one really goes near that mountain… could it be some kind of mass grave from the past?" Old Zhang guessed boldly.
Miaozhu gave him a glance.
"Now that's someone who deserves to be in the SEIU—his imagination and adaptability are top-tier."
"You might be right," she said calmly. "That kind of yin concentration? Definitely not from ordinary burial ground."