Little Dumbass's ability is to steal a specific function from the target? Last time, it was Auntie's sense of smell and taste. This time, it was Uncle's ability to speak?
Pretending to cough, Zhang Yuanqing was thrilled. If it could steal such functions from ordinary people, could it also steal powers from Spirit Walkers?
If so, this little spirit servant would be insanely valuable.
At that moment, his uncle came back to his senses. Recalling his bizarre behavior just now, the Nightclub Lord flushed with embarrassment and confusion.
Hah, so even you know how to feel awkward, Uncle... Zhang Yuanqing gloated inwardly. He noticed the baby spirit sitting on his uncle's shoulders seemed exhausted, drowsy from overexertion.
"This... I was just joking with you guys. Suddenly remembered how Yuanzi used to act when he was little, couldn't help but mimic it."
His uncle, ever the seasoned rascal, was thick-skinned enough to instantly push the blame onto his nephew.
Zhang Yuanqing was caught off guard.
"At your age, don't you feel ashamed acting like this?" Grandma scolded in fury.
"Ma, I'm still your child." Uncle grinned. "I'll always be your little boy."
"Get lost!" Grandma looked utterly disgusted.
After dinner, his uncle's family returned to their apartment across the hall. Zhang Yuanqing quickly washed up in the bathroom and reminded Auntie not to disturb him for the night before heading into his bedroom.
He had to get up early tomorrow to meet Li Dongze and report the baby spirit situation, so he planned to sleep early.
But first, he wanted to try and formally tame the little creature.
Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on the bed. Little Dumbass was curled up in his lap, hugging one of his thumbs and sucking on it. Threads of lunar yin energy flowed from him into the spirit baby, nourishing it.
According to the forum post, once a spirit servant was successfully refined, it would only need a steady supply of lunar yin to persist in the world.
In other words, Zhang Yuanqing had stumbled upon a ready-made treasure.
This little guy isn't very smart right now… I wonder if its intelligence will increase with time.
He calmed his emotions, channeled his lunar yin, and let thick black light rise in his eyes until it swallowed the whites and irises entirely.
"Hu…"
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a misty black breath, wrapping the baby spirit in it. Then he opened his mouth and swallowed the creature whole.
Instantly, he felt a new consciousness inside him—weak and passive.
Following the steps outlined in the post, he flooded this consciousness with lunar yin over and over, imprinting his spiritual brand on it, allowing it to accept his power and formally become his spirit servant.
After a dozen seconds of effort, his spiritual awareness suddenly sank into a pitch-black void.
It was warm and comfortable, like lying in a mother's embrace.
His spirit had merged briefly with the baby spirit's "body."
So the post was accurate. The master can control the servant's consciousness and powers—temporarily taking over its 'body'.
As Zhang Yuanqing got used to this new form, a strange and innate talent rose naturally in his mind—as if he had been born with it.
The talent was called "Exchange"—sacrificing one of his own abilities to take one from the target.
For example, he could swap his sense of taste with someone else's, or his speech, for three seconds.
That's why Auntie had lost her sense of taste. That's why Uncle had babbled like a baby.
However, the exchanges didn't have to be equivalent. He could, theoretically, give up a useless trait in return for someone's powerful one.
But the baby spirit was too young and dumb to manage that. It could only perform random, equal exchanges.
The skill required physical contact to trigger.
If Zhang Yuanqing operated it himself, he could micromanage—trading garbage for god-tier skills.
Currently, though, the baby spirit could only swap physical abilities, not spiritual ones. At least, not yet.
Finally, as its master, Zhang Yuanqing could also redirect damage or negative status effects onto the spirit servant, making it share the burden.
Now I understand why Night Wanderer is considered one of the peak classes. It really is ridiculously strong. Zhang Yuanqing sighed in awe.
He withdrew his consciousness from the fusion.
"Yii yii..."
The baby spirit waddled toward him on its short legs, nudging his hand with its sparse-haired head, trying to suck his thumb again.
It's hungry.
"No, this is where you get your food now." Zhang Yuanqing pointed to his chest.
The baby tilted its head, staring at him in confusion. After a moment, it seemed to understand and obediently crawled toward his chest.
"Get lost."
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed it back into his belly and stored it inside.
…
The next morning, Zhang Yuanqing got up and went to the bathroom.
As he picked up his toothbrush, he paused, exhaled a puff of yin energy, and summoned the baby spirit onto the sink counter.
Thanks to last night's nourishment, it looked lively again, its jet-black eyes pure and innocent as it stared up at him.
"Time to teach you some basics. This is a toothbrush. I'm going to brush my teeth. Repeat after me: toothbrush, brushing teeth, use toothbrush to brush teeth…"
Since this thing wasn't just a mindless ghost, it would eventually grow—and that growth needed proper guidance. He had to shape its values.
It needed to be a good ghost. Law-abiding. No gambling or drugs.
The baby tilted its head, looking blank.
"Toothbrush, brushing teeth, use toothbrush to brush teeth. Repeat after me…"
"???"
Zhang Yuanqing tried for a bit longer before giving up, wondering if maybe he was the idiot for even attempting this.
Once he was done washing up, his phone rang. It was Li Dongze.
"Hello, Squad Leader?"
"Yuan Shi, come in this morning. There's something you need to help with."
"What is it?"
"A Night Wanderer from Taiyi Sect wants to ask you a few questions. I'll explain more when you get here."
A Night Wanderer from Taiyi Sect? Are they trying to recruit a once-in-a-century genius like me? But if that's the case, shouldn't they approach me privately?
"Got it, Squad Leader." Zhang Yuanqing hung up.
He had planned to report the baby spirit matter anyway.
After breakfast, he left the neighborhood with his backpack, pretending to go to school, and took a taxi straight to the Public Security Bureau's dual-glass building.
When he reached the door to Li Dongze's office, he heard hearty laughter inside:
"Oh God, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard."
"Let me tell you something else—remember Captain Zhao? Yeah, the guy who always walks into the women's bathroom. When he first became a Night Wanderer, he devoured seven female spirits in one go. Ever since then, he's had a habit of squatting to pee. Took years to break."
"Hahaha, oh Lord! That's even better than the last one."
"Oh, I know all kinds of juicy Night Wanderer gossip. I'll tell you more later—but you've got to promise not to leak it. We're not gossipers, right?"
Knock knock!
Zhang Yuanqing tapped the glass door.
The laughter inside instantly stopped. Li Dongze's composed voice called out, "Come in."
Zhang Yuanqing pushed the door open and saw Li Dongze sharing drinks with a man in a black suit and shirt on the lounge sofa.
The man had decent features, pale skin, and a lean build, carrying a faint air of noble elegance.
"Our outstanding recruit is here," Li Dongze said with a smile, gesturing toward the fridge. "There's Coke inside. Help yourself."
Zhang Yuanqing popped open a bottle and took a swig. Li Dongze introduced the guest:
"This is Yuan Ting, squad leader of Taiyi Sect's Kangyang Division. Level 3 Night Wanderer, one of the elite among our official ranks."
Level 3 Night Wanderers were indeed top-tier in the Transcendent realm.
"A real talent. Elder Sun must've been out of his mind..." Yuan Ting shook Zhang Yuanqing's hand, sounding genuinely regretful.
Zhang Yuanqing plastered a warm smile on his face. "The moment I saw Captain Yuan, I felt a familial bond. A strange sense of kinship—could this be the connection shared among Night Wanderers?"
Yuan Ting blinked. "Uh... Night Wanderers don't usually have that kind of bond."
"Ohh! Then it must be Captain Yuan's personal charm that made me feel so close." Zhang Yuanqing nodded earnestly.
That comment made Yuan Ting smile despite himself. This kid really knows how to flatter.
Then he remembered this was Li Dongze's subordinate and sighed again. "Elder Sun really must've been blind…"
Seeing the two of them getting cozy, Li Dongze coughed and changed the tone.
"Captain Yuan is here on official business."
He looked at Yuan Ting. "Want to talk here or use the meeting room?"
"Meeting room," Yuan Ting replied.
He picked up his briefcase from the glass table, nodded at Zhang Yuanqing, and smiled.
"Let's talk privately."
Wants to talk to me alone? From Li Dongze's attitude, it doesn't seem like he's trying to recruit me. Then what is this about?
"Sure!" Zhang Yuanqing agreed, then added, "But I'd like to use the restroom first."
Yuan Ting nodded and stepped out first.
Zhang Yuanqing turned toward the office area. He deliberately ignored Wang Tai scribbling away at some academic paper and walked up to Guan Ya's desk with a teasing tone:
"Instead of a beauty trap, we get a Night Wanderer from Taiyi Sect."
Holding her water bottle, Guan Ya smiled sweetly. "That just proves it wasn't a honey trap. Hmm… Scorpio's horoscope looks good today, but you need to be careful what you say to your boss or colleagues, or things might flip dramatically."
She wore a crisp white blouse and short skirt. Her long, slightly curled hair had just been styled. With her delicate makeup and striking mixed-race features, she looked stunning and fashionable.
Zhang Yuanqing joked, "So, if you tried to seduce me and I righteously rejected you, our little boat of friendship might capsize?"
"No, you wouldn't reject me. You're a Scorpio," she said matter-of-factly.
That's enough. One more jab at Scorpios and I'll smack you with a stick.
But he got the hint he wanted. He immediately turned and headed to the meeting room door, lightly knocking on the glass.
"Come in!" came Yuan Ting's voice from inside.