After finishing the mission at the Huang estate, Li Shen and Lin Qingyu returned directly to the Spirit Warden Office in Blackwater City.
Inside the administrative hall, Chief Warden Yan Rui sat behind his desk reviewing documents.
Just like always.
No matter when Li Shen visited, the man seemed buried under paperwork.
If diligence alone determined cultivation, Yan Rui would probably have reached immortality already.
"Chief Yan Rui," Lin Qingyu said as she stepped forward. "The case at the Huang estate has been resolved."
She removed the small jade token hanging from her belt and placed it on the desk.
"The merit reward should be split evenly between Li Shen and me."
Yan Rui nodded slightly.
He picked up the token and tapped its surface with two fingers.
Immediately, soft light spread across the jade.
A shimmering projection rose into the air above the desk.
The entire mission replayed itself like a living memory.
Li Shen privately called this process mission review.
Yan Rui strongly believed in it.
According to him:
"The experiences of those who survive are the best manuals for those who must face danger tomorrow."
Every time wardens returned from a mission, he gathered them to watch the recording.
If mistakes were made, he pointed them out immediately.
Because in their profession, even the smallest misjudgment could lead to death.
Perhaps someone might escape disaster once.
But luck would not always save them.
---
At this moment, however, Lin Qingyu looked unusually nervous.
The confident girl who normally strode through missions like a battlefield hero now stood slightly behind Li Shen.
She almost looked like a guilty student waiting for punishment.
"Lin Qingyu."
Yan Rui's voice echoed across the hall.
"Yes, Chief."
"Do you think being stronger than your peers makes you untouchable?"
"No, Chief."
"Still stubborn," he said with a faint snort.
"You rely too heavily on brute strength."
"You rush into danger without thinking."
"And this time a simple illusion nearly trapped you."
Lin Qingyu immediately protested.
"That creature used dirty tricks!"
"Dirty tricks?" Yan Rui raised an eyebrow.
"You expect demons to follow honorable rules?"
His voice grew colder.
"If Li Shen had not intervened, you might have been reduced to nothing but a corpse with its heart missing."
Lin Qingyu lowered her head.
For once, she had nothing to say.
After a moment Yan Rui continued.
"As punishment, one month of your salary will be deducted."
Lin Qingyu instantly relaxed.
A simple salary penalty was nothing.
The last time she was punished, she had been forced to clean the Office's spirit containment chambers for two weeks.
Compared to that nightmare, losing a little money was trivial.
---
Now Li Shen began to feel uneasy.
Unlike Lin Qingyu, he actually depended on his salary.
But Yan Rui suddenly turned toward him.
"Li Shen."
"Yes, Chief."
"There are two matters I wish to discuss with you."
Li Shen blinked in surprise.
It was unusual for Yan Rui to ask anyone's opinion.
"First," Yan Rui said calmly, "I intend to use this mission recording as training material."
"Many wardens rely too heavily on force."
"They charge at spirits without studying their behavior first."
"If they continue like that, one day they will die without understanding why."
Li Shen nodded.
"That is perfectly fine."
He wasn't worried about others learning from the recording.
Everything he used during the mission came from knowledge available in the Office's library.
Whether someone could truly master those techniques depended on their own talent.
Knowledge was like mathematics.
Some people grasped it immediately.
Others struggled forever.
---
Yan Rui continued.
"The second matter concerns the talismans you used."
Li Shen listened attentively.
"The Spirit-Breaking Talismans you created are extremely effective against minor spirits."
"I would like you to supply a fixed amount to the Office each month."
"They would be stored in the treasury and exchanged by other wardens using merit points."
"Similar to spirit pills and medicinal resources."
Li Shen considered the proposal.
Drawing talismans required time.
Time that could otherwise be spent cultivating.
"What compensation would I receive?" he asked.
He wasn't being greedy.
He simply needed the arrangement to be worthwhile.
Yan Rui nodded.
"A fair question."
"Every talisman redeemed from the treasury will grant you fifteen merit points."
"If their effectiveness proves exceptional, the value may increase."
Li Shen agreed immediately.
That was an excellent deal.
Fifteen merit points for each talisman meant he could earn rewards without constantly risking his life.
Sometimes efficiency mattered more than heroics.
Without hesitation, Li Shen pulled out ten prepared talismans and placed them on the desk.
"I already have some ready."
Yan Rui looked at the stack of charms and shook his head slightly.
Even after that battle, Li Shen still carried so many reserves.
The young man was far more cautious than most wardens.
Lin Qingyu, watching from the side, felt equally shocked.
How many talismans does this guy carry around…?
---
After storing the talismans, Yan Rui spoke again.
"There is one more matter."
"Our chief constable recently lost his mother."
"According to imperial law, he must return home to observe mourning rites."
"That means his position is now vacant."
Li Shen frowned slightly.
He had never fully understood that tradition.
In a world full of supernatural threats, forcing protectors to abandon their duties for years seemed dangerous.
But the rule had been decreed by the emperor himself.
No one dared challenge it.
Yan Rui folded his hands on the desk.
"Therefore, I recommended someone to fill the position temporarily."
Li Shen suddenly had a strange feeling.
"Who?"
Yan Rui looked directly at him.
"You."
Li Shen's eyes widened slightly.
A promotion.
And likely a better salary.
For the first time that day, his calm expression finally cracked into a genuine smile.
---