Chapter 258 (Chapter 257) New Work Experience

The sinking of the extra floating islands in Baiyujing went quite smoothly.

Starting at 10:00 AM, everyone was forced to leave the island, regardless of their wishes. By 12:00 PM, all the sinking and accounting work was completed.

Yan Shi sat in the office of the Baiyujing branch of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, leaning back in his chair to catch his breath.

The blazing sun is still asleep.

She looked down at the surface of the crown, which she had managed to repair so that it wasn't so tattered anymore. Her fingertips traced the dull gemstones, and she made up her mind to stand up.

This time she didn't turn on the navigation.

Following the direction he remembered, Yan Shi slowly walked along the road.

Although the main street was destroyed, the center of Kyoto remained bustling during the day. The collapse of several floating islands did not disrupt people's daily lives.

The streets were bustling with activity. Pedestrians came and went, vendors called out their wares, children ran around, and the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts filled the air.

Yanshi bought several bags of candy with a long shelf life and carried them in his hand.

She thought she would get lost; she always got lost.

There was no result.

Yan Shi found the underground passage leading to the Blood Array very easily.

The entrance here hasn't been blocked off yet; it's still being guarded by Kunlunmen staff to prevent passersby from accidentally wandering in.

When they saw Yan Shi approaching, they were taken aback, then bowed in unison and greeted him: "Director Yan."

The body at the alley entrance had been properly preserved, the bloodstains cleaned up, and there was no sign of anything unusual.

Yan Shi walked past them and slowly stepped into the passage.

Nothing had changed inside the passage; the spirit lamps on both sides still illuminated the way.

The water droplets in the air seemed to sense Yan Shi's low spirits and quietly wrapped around her fingertips.

The hall was still filled with the strong smell of blood.

The smell of blood had faded slightly; the blood in the ditches had become much shallower due to lack of replenishment, seepage, and energy supply.

The Kunlun Sword was stuck in the center of the formation, humming softly.

At Yan Shi's signal, Shui Ling lifted her up and flew towards the center of the formation.

Yan Shi looked up.

Wen Ying and she left in a hurry last night and didn't put the top bricks back, so there's a small hole in it.

The box that was taken out of the box and the original bricks on top were lying on the ground.

Yan Shi squatted down and picked up the box.

She gazed down at the blazing sun crown on her wrist for a long time before taking it off and gently placing it in the center of the box, along with the bags of candy.

Yan Shi closed the lid: "No one but me can open this box," she said softly.

The crown of the blazing sun is the authority of the spirit; it belongs to the world.

But in Yan Shi's eyes, the blazing sun crown was nothing more than her crown and bracelet.

She put the box back on top and stuffed the bricks back in.

The moment it was placed, the fire spirit became restless.

A burst of flame emanated from the central brick and core, instantly spreading outwards and forming a crimson barrier.

The entire underground hall was shaking slightly, and even the floating island of Baiyujing seemed to sway a little.

The ground slowly straightened itself.

The fire spirit burned through every ditch on the ground, scalding and boiling the blood inside until it was completely gone.

The Kunlun Sword hummed as it was drawn from the center of the formation, its clean spiritual essence dispersing the unpleasant odor in the air.

It happily swung its body at Yan Shi, then transformed into a beam of white light and disappeared along a passage.

Stop making any noise.

Yan Shi gazed at the now-empty ditch and said, "Everything is as it was before."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall floor began to heal and close itself. The underground passages on the surrounding walls gradually collapsed, closed, and disappeared.

In the end, only the passage behind Yan Shi remained.

The unpleasant smell of blood was finally gone from the air, replaced by the fresh scent of earth.

The crimson barrier gradually faded, leaving only a light red layer covering the top.

Yan Shi looked up at the location of the bricks.

She knew perfectly well that she couldn't see anything except the blazing sun's crown.

"Next year," Yan Shi muttered to himself, "Next year I can come and pick you up."

---

Although the Bureau of Anomalies mainly takes a hands-off approach to handling anomalies in the surface world, it does nothing of note.

However, as a central unit in the imperial capital located next to the Summer Palace, it still enjoys the best of every kind of welfare and benefits in the real world.

Previously, Yan Shi had to travel from the capital to Tonghai City, even by plane, for nearly six hours.

The special flight route arranged by the secretariat meant the plane took less than two hours to get there.

When Yanshi arrived at Tonghai Airport, it was not yet dinner time.

She carefully reviewed the work reports submitted by the execution department.

Before the execution team in Tonghai City lost contact, the emergency anomaly they received and came to handle was located in the center of the old town of Tonghai City, among the ancient historical buildings.

It's very easy to understand.

Cultural relics, antiques, and ancient buildings are most likely to harbor spirits and evil spirits. This is because history has given these relics the time to settle and mature.

Another very coincidental point is that the center of the former dynasty's cultural relics and architectural complex is Yan Shi's high school.

The car that picked up Yan Shi was sent by the Tonghai Municipal Government.

Although the government official wore a professional smile, he couldn't hide the worry between his brows, which remained slightly furrowed: "Director Yan, there is also a high school in this complex of buildings, which is also a key high school in our Tonghai City."

She paused, her voice lowering, "It's been half a month, and there's still no news about the children inside. What do you think...?"

Yan Shi lowered his eyes: "I will handle it."

"That's good." The government official breathed a sigh of relief. "Director Yan, thank you for your help."

"It's my duty," Yan Shi replied coldly.

She got out of the car.

It was already evening, the sun had not yet set, and the afterglow still lingered, reddening the sky.

However, the entire complex of historical buildings was shrouded in mist, with a thin layer of fog permeating the air.

A grayish-white mist enveloped it, obscuring what lay inside.

The car could only take Yan Shi to the outermost tower; it couldn't go any further in.

It's like there's an invisible barrier blocking it.

The tower's main entrance was ajar, and the interior was pitch black.

As Yan Shi approached, he could feel a light, floating resistance at the doorway.

But as soon as she summoned the spirit, the resistance disappeared.

Yan Shi entered the area almost without any difficulty.

As you walk through the tower's dark passageway, the surroundings gradually become noisy.

In the old alley, an old man sat on a recliner by his door, and the sounds of voices, laughter, and the clinking of pots and pans could be heard all around.

Further away, you can hear children playing.

There was no fog inside, and the glow of the sunset was perfect.

Yan Shi looked back and found that the tower behind him was still there, but the door had disappeared.

She remained silent for a moment, then carefully scanned her surroundings and noticed something was amiss.

At first glance, everything seems perfectly normal.

Old alleys, old houses, vines on walls, and even clothes drying in the sun.

Upon closer inspection, the clothes worn by the elderly people at the alley entrance were also quite old.

It's more like the style from decades ago.

Since taking office, Yan Shi has not personally dealt with any abnormal events in the surface world.

She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she remained calm and walked inside.

Good news! Yan Shi's high school has been established for a long time.

Looking up from a distance, you can still see the high school buildings.

As Yan Shi passed by a few elderly people chatting, they stopped talking and stared at him when they saw the unfamiliar face.

"Little girl, where are you going?" one of them asked.

Yan Shi turned his head to the side: "I'm from Tonghai High School, I'm back to visit my teacher."

"Oh, oh, oh," came the question from a kind-looking old lady, "Tonghai High School is great, all the ambitious young people are there."

"I hope my granddaughter can also receive an admission notice from Tonghai High School."

"It's just that there have been too many young men coming back to visit their teachers lately."

"Perhaps everyone is on holiday?"

They chattered amongst themselves, forgetting about Yan Shi standing nearby.

Yan Shi could already hear the school bell ringing for the end of the evening classes at the high school not far away. She quickly walked past the old ladies and headed into the alley.

Yan Shi was very familiar with the routes between the buildings in the vicinity.

She skipped classes and left school early in high school, often hanging out with Wen Ying inside.

Yanshi chose the shortest route, the only drawback being that he had to climb over a low wall.

The stepping stones under the wall were still there. Yan Shi stepped over the stones, and with great skill, he used his right hand to push himself up. As soon as he jumped onto the top of the wall, he made eye contact with someone below.

She was a young girl.

She was wearing a short skirt with a very unique design and cut, the hem of which was uneven, like a texture that had been simply torn out.

The girl looked up, her eyes wide with shock, her mouth agape involuntarily.

Yan Shi: "...Hello?"

It took the girl a long time to slowly come to her senses: "Oh my god..." she murmured to herself, "Yan, Director Yan?!"

Author's note: I've already received the rabies vaccine, and apart from feeling groggy today, I feel okay.

Good news, my roommate won't let the dog out of the room anymore.