Chapter 18

Chapter 18

When Jiang Lin arrived at the police station, Captain Luo had just returned with his team.

A group of people got out of the car, dragging a handcuffed middle-aged man. Jiang Lin stepped forward: “Captain Luo.”

Captain Luo signaled his team to take the arrested man inside while he approached with a smile: “Captain Jiang, what brings you here today? Need to take care of something?”

Jiang Lin: “About the person I asked you about last time.”

Captain Luo quickly called out: “Tong Zhou, come here.”

Tong Zhou, who was leading the man inside, turned back, handed the prisoner over to a colleague, and ran out: “Captain Luo.”

Captain Luo patted Tong Zhou’s shoulder: “It’s him. The injury isn’t serious—just a scrape.”

Jiang Lin carefully examined Tong Zhou’s face. It was indeed not a severe injury—just a long, thin wound that didn’t require stitches, but the wound wasn’t shallow either.

A few days had passed, and the wound had almost scabbed over. When the scab eventually fell off, depending on luck, the new skin might smoothen out, or it might leave a mark.

Jiang Lin took out the medicine: “Someone asked me to do them a favor, so I have to deliver on it. That day, you protected him and got hurt. He’s been worried about it and specifically asked me to give this to you. This isn’t ordinary medicine—I’m not sure exactly what it does, but would you like to try it?”

After Bai Zhizhi gave him the medicine, Jiang Lin didn’t have it analyzed.

That little fox had a soft and kind heart. Because someone helped him, he wouldn’t do anything harmful. Besides, this was topical, not oral—if there were any issues, you could just wipe it off.

Tong Zhou gave an honest, embarrassed smile: “No need, really? This injury is nothing. It’s almost healed. I wouldn’t want to trouble Captain Jiang to come all this way.”

He was Captain Luo’s right-hand man and had worked with him for years. Whenever there was a case, Captain Luo would bring him along. So he knew Jiang Lin’s identity—he was a cultivator. Having him personally deliver medicine for a tiny injury flattered Tong Zhou and made him a bit uneasy.

Jiang Lin smiled: “Actually, I’m also curious to see what this medicine can do. The boy you saved comes from a special family, and the things they use are probably extraordinary. I’m quite interested.”

Captain Luo interjected: “Since it’s been brought, Xiao Tong, just give it a try.”

If Jiang Lin said it was unusual, then it must be. There was no harm in trying.

Tong Zhou scratched his cheek, obediently took the small ceramic jar, unscrewed it, and revealed a creamy, slightly thick ointment. A refreshing and pleasant medicinal scent spread around.

Even before applying, just smelling it made Tong Zhou and Captain Luo feel a clear-headed feeling—the exhaustion and heaviness from staying up all night chasing criminals seemed to disappear.

Jiang Lin’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze intensified. This scent confirmed it was indeed a spiritual medicine.

Tong Zhou didn’t know what spiritual medicine was, but since his captain told him to try it, he did. Using the car’s rearview mirror, he carefully applied a bit of ointment to the wound on his face. As soon as he smoothed it out, he let out an “Eh!”

Captain Luo: “What’s wrong? What does it feel like?”

Tong Zhou: “It feels really comfortable—not that cool and refreshing kind, but like my face is absorbing water.”

Captain Luo leaned in to look, let out a surprised “Huh,” and gently pulled at the raised edge of the scab. The entire scab fell off, and the skin underneath changed visibly, finally smoothing out completely.

Except for the faint pinkness of the new skin, there was no trace of injury.

Captain Luo was amazed: “Is it because the wound was so small that it healed this fast, or…?”

If all wounds could heal this fast with this medicine, how many police injuries and deaths could be reduced each year?

Jiang Lin: “This is likely a spiritual medicine. The raw materials are probably extremely rare, so it can only be made in such small jars. Mass production is likely impossible.”

It matched his earlier guess. Bai Zhizhi’s ancestors were Great Demons, so they probably had some stockpiles. But spiritual objects were scarce now, and the era when they were common was over. When he got back, he’d remind Bai Zhizhi to be more careful with such things—spiritual objects were hard to come by, and once they were used up, it would be difficult to find more.

Captain Luo took the small jar: “This…”

Jiang Lin: “It’s for Tong Zhou. Tell him to use it sparingly. Don’t go spreading this around, or it’ll cause trouble.”

Captain Luo immediately and unceremoniously withdrew the hand holding the jar: “Then thank Captain Jiang. And thank the young comrade who sent the medicine on our behalf.”

After Jiang Lin left, Captain Luo told Tong Zhou to keep the medicine safe: “This is good stuff—you must be careful with it.”

Tong Zhou: “My wound is healed. Captain Luo, you keep the rest.”

Captain Luo shot him a look: “It wouldn’t be right for a master to take his disciple’s things. Just keep it as I said. Store it well—it might save your life in a pinch.”

While Jiang Lin was delivering the medicine for Bai Zhizhi, Lin Xiaoyang at the courtyard house saw that it was almost time for the mobile service center to open, so he prepared to take Bai Zhizhi out to get a phone number.

Yue Zhihuan couldn’t speak. She had been bullied as a child for being mute. Although she seemed lively now, it was because she felt safe in the courtyard, surrounded by friends and family. Out in public, she had severe social anxiety—she avoided going out if she could.

Lin Xiaoyang really wanted to take her out for a walk—being cooped up in the courtyard was boring—but he worried that if something happened, he might not be able to handle both her and Bai Zhizhi. Bai Zhizhi seemed obedient now, but he was still a demon. If something unexpected happened, Lin Xiaoyang wasn’t sure he could manage.

Since she didn’t want to go with them, he could bring back good food for her.

Lin Xiaoyang asked Yue Zhihuan: “Anything you want to eat? I’ll grab it on the way back.”

Yue Zhihuan took out her phone and texted him: “Jianbing, braised treats, sugar-filled buns, and the cheese milk tea from the milk tea shop at the intersection!”

After sending it, Yue Zhihuan suddenly covered her mouth and laughed. Lin Xiaoyang was confused: “What are you laughing at?”

She typed again: “Remember to take Zhizhi for cheese milk tea—he loves the 'zhi' flavor.”

Though he didn’t get her strange joke, Lin Xiaoyang still smiled politely, then said to Bai Zhizhi: “Come on, I’ll take you to get a number. It’s just nearby—we’ll go early and come back early.”

As Lin Xiaoyang led Bai Zhizhi toward the mall, he explained to him: “Once you have a phone number, you’ll have your own account. It’ll be much easier to exchange contact info or do anything. Then we’ll get you a bank card, and you'll be becoming more human every day!”

Bai Zhizhi rolled his eyes at Lin Xiaoyang. He wasn’t fooled—being “more human every day” wasn’t exactly a compliment.

Walking out of the alley, they were surrounded by people. Crowds of people coming and going, all sorts of vehicles—some carrying dozens of people, some three or four, and some riding on two wheels.

He had observed for days. Everyone here seemed to use metal vehicles. No one rode live animals. It seemed he couldn't use his own mount.

Lin Xiaoyang pointed across the street: “See? There’s a mall right there. Super close, right? Let me tell you, in our city, a one-hour commute is considered short, two hours is normal, and some even commute across provinces for three hours. Compare that—now you understand the value of Brother Jiang’s courtyard, right?”

Bai Zhizhi didn’t understand. He tilted his head slightly, looking confused.

Lin Xiaoyang chuckled: “You’ll get it with time. Want to take a look around while we’re out? These past few days, you’ve been stuck with Brother Jiang—he probably never took you to a mall.”

Lin Xiaoyang chattered on, while Bai Zhizhi slowly took in the surroundings. He had always traveled by car these days, so he hadn’t experienced walking around here. Now, stepping out of the alley into the bustling crowd, he felt a down-to-earth, lively vibe different from Qingqiu.

Just as they reached the mall entrance, Bai Zhizhi suddenly stopped and turned to look in a certain direction.

Lin Xiaoyang, afraid he'd cause a scene in public, quickly grabbed his wrist: “What’s wrong? What did you see? Whatever it is, you can’t just launch a surprise attack!”

Bai Zhizhi analyzed the scent in the air: “The smell of golden fur.”

Lin Xiaoyang looked around: “There’s no dog. You don’t hate dogs and start fighting them on sight, do you? You can’t do that—you’re human now. ‘Man bites dog’ would make headlines.”

Bai Zhizhi

Bai Zhizhi: "It's not him, but his scent is here."

Bai Zhizhi scanned the crowd, his gaze settling on an unfamiliar face: "It's Hull."

Presumably, Hull had just met the Golden Retriever. Since Bai Zhizhi still vividly remembered the first blood he had drawn in this world, he had first caught the Golden Retriever's scent before spotting Hull.

Upon hearing it was Hull, Lin Xiaoyang's scalp practically exploded. He knew all about the fight between Bai Zhizhi and Hull in Luoxia Village, and Brother Jiang had warned him that if they ever encountered Hull again, he should immediately lead Bai Zhizhi away to avoid him.

He never expected to run into him right at their doorstep. The problem was Brother Jiang wasn't around. If those two started fighting again, how could he possibly stop them?

Unaware of Lin Xiaoyang's anxiety, Bai Zhizhi spotted his target in the crowd. "Over there—the one wearing gray."

Lin Xiaoyang instinctively looked in the direction he pointed. "I don't see him. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

He looked for a long time but couldn't see Hull. Although Hull had some Eastern features, he was still a foreigner, tall and conspicuous in a crowd. If he were here, Lin Xiaoyang would definitely see him.

Bai Zhizhi: "He no longer looks like he used to. He's changed his face, but his scent is the same. I remember."

Lin Xiaoyang's expression darkened. "Zhizhi, are you sure? Are you sure it's him? Are you sure he changed his face?"

Bai Zhizhi nodded. "Of course. How could such a cheap trick fool my nose?"

It's just a face change—back in Qingqiu, when he played with his friends, he could even sniff out a change in species.