"Shen Xiao, did you find something?"
The situation was so sudden.
Shen Xiao immediately raised his hand, incinerating the cartoon pattern he had made from the pile of leaves into ashes, erasing all evidence of his slacking.
"Found something... the sunset view here is quite nice," Shen Xiao answered randomly.
"...Huh?" Lu Qingyue turned and realized it was already 5 PM.
It was almost dark, and they hadn't found a single clue.
She felt foolish.
'Is Shen Xiao being sarcastic because I haven't found any clues all day?'
Shen Xiao is so kind.
If it were my little brother, he would have scolded me for being slow, Qingyue thought.
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
Shen Xiao felt a bit uneasy.
He had harvested many tickets today, it felt wrong to keep slacking while Qingyue looked so worried.
"Let's go out for a bit. We'll ask the neighbors about the house's previous owners."
Before heading down from the balcony, Shen Xiao saw Lu Zihao and Su Qiao squatting in the corner of the yard, engrossed in playing games on their phones.
"Qingyue, use your water element. Form a water ball above their heads and drop it," Shen Xiao whispered.
"Eh? That's not very nice, is it?"
"It's fine, it's a lesson. I hate people who don't take missions seriously! If they ask, just say you don't know, blame it on the 'ghost' here."
Qingyue agreed, they really needed to be taught a lesson not to underestimate their work.
She concentrated her energy, sent the water ball high, and then hurriedly followed Shen Xiao into the house.
Shortly after, a scream erupted from the yard.
"GHOST! THERE'S A WATER GHOST!"
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
...
Shen Xiao and Qingyue approached an auntie who was hanging out laundry at the house next door.
From her information, the previous owners were a young couple who loved traveling, but the house was seized by the bank after they defaulted on their payments.
Rumor had it they disappeared due to an accident.
"They used to have a cat that often stole food from my house. Now it's a stray that's getting bolder about entering homes," the auntie shared.
"But that cat doesn't hurt people, it's just incredibly fast."
A cat?
Has it awakened?
Shen Xiao wondered.
Usually, awakened animals would cause a massive scene, it was rare to find one that just politely stole food.
...
'That was close, meow!'
We almost got caught!
On the rooftop, a small grey-and-white cat peeked out.
Its vertical pupils watched Shen Xiao leave.
'The person who entered the house is very strong, meow.'
My instincts say if I mess around, I'll definitely die.
Why is it so hard to protect my master's legacy?
The cat leaped down nimbly, scavenging for food in a trash can.
It's so hard living alone, meow.
Eating trash every day and being chased by the neighbor's dog.
Why did my masters die and leave me? I really want to find a new master...
...
After "working overtime" for an hour asking around, Shen Xiao decided to return to the villa.
They gathered in the cold living room, lit only by an iron basin filled with glowing charcoal.
Exchanging information, Lu Zihao and Su Qiao began to boast.
"Earlier, I felt an invisible hand choking me in the yard!" Lu Zihao cried.
Su Qiao chimed in, "And the ghost splashed us with cold water!"
'You're talking nonsense, meow!'
I haven't even scared you today!
The grey cat behind the window hissed in anger at the slander.
That strong human is much better; he doesn't believe your rumors.
Ding!
[Gained Lao Jiang's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
"Huh? Who's Lao Jiang?" Shen Xiao was confused.
There was no one by that name in his team.
But getting 10 tickets at once from a stranger?
This was an incredible talent!
"Boss, give us a chance! We won't slack off tomorrow!" Lu Zihao pleaded.
"I'll forgive you today, but there's a punishment," Shen Xiao said coldly.
Ding!
[Gained Lu Zihao's favorability, Fate Ticket +0.1]
Ding!
[Gained Su Qiao's favorability, Fate Ticket +0.01]
Shen Xiao cursed internally.
No remorse at all!
You guys are so stingy!
"Your punishment, 500 push-ups each for giving a false report!"
Ding!
[Gained Lao Jiang's favorability, Fate Ticket +10]
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
Shen Xiao smiled with satisfaction.
These were his true friends, Qingyue, who admired his firmness, and the mysterious figure "Lao Jiang."
...
Shen Xiao's mind began to focus on that mysterious name.
Who is Lao Jiang?
He tried to search his memories, but the name never appeared in his knowledge of the past.
Was it the ghost inhabiting this house?
Or the cat the neighbor mentioned?
He remembered the grey cat peeking at him from the roof.
Use Clue Card?
Confirm.
The system showed a dot at the outer corner of the window.
Sure enough, as Shen Xiao glanced there, a cat immediately darted away, and the clue dot vanished.
So it's true.
This cat is quite smart.
Should I catch it?
'Its talent isn't bad for a pet,' Shen Xiao thought.
But he decided to wait.
If he caught it now, the mission would end too soon, and the Ability Association would grow suspicious.
Better to stall for two more days while observing "Lao Jiang."
...
"Boss, please have mercy on me! Look at these scrawny arms and legs, they'll snap if I have to do 500 push-ups!" Lu Zihao wailed pitifully.
"Boss, my wound from the Rank A mission yesterday hasn't fully healed. Look, it's still throbbing," Su Qiao added, joining the pity party.
Shen Xiao turned to Lu Qingyue.
"Qingyue, what do you think?"
Qingyue felt she couldn't let this slide.
If their laziness went unchecked, it would only get worse.
"Not one less! Precisely because your physical condition is weak, you must train harder!"
Shen Xiao offered a faint smile.
"Hear that? Only 500 times, why are you complaining like old people? You're embarrassing ability practitioners."
"Anyway, Qingyue and I are going to walk around the yard for a bit. You stay here and finish up!"
While pulling Qingyue's hand, Shen Xiao winked at Zihao and Su Qiao, as if signaling, "This is the only way I can help discipline you."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Zihao's favorability, Fate Ticket +1]
Ding!
[Gained Su Qiao's favorability, Fate Ticket +0.05]
That night, they split the guard schedule.
During his turn with Qingyue, Shen Xiao saw the girl constantly looking around anxiously.
"Relax. I've set alarms on every door. If something comes in, we'll know. You don't need to be that tense," Shen Xiao comforted her.
"But ghosts are ethereal beings, I'm afraid it'll come through the wall..." Qingyue whispered.
Shen Xiao chuckled.
"I told you, there are no ghosts. This is definitely the work of a mutated animal with manipulation abilities. Watch this."
Shen Xiao waved his hand, and suddenly a dozen blue flames appeared floating around Qingyue.
The girl jumped in surprise and reflexively hugged Shen Xiao's arm tightly.
This future Empress really needs some courage training, Shen Xiao thought affectionately.
"It's just fire from my ability. Look," Shen Xiao controlled the flames to form a smiling face, then changed it into a dancing fire ghost.
Not stopping there, he produced small lightning orbs that played along with the fire ghost.
"The animal's ability might be similar to this. It feels like this is its territory and wants to scare people away. How about I teach you how to control your element like this? It's very effective in a real fight."
"Thank you, Shen Xiao," Qingyue answered with sparkling eyes.
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
Qingyue began trying to manipulate the water orb in her hand.
Although it was difficult at first due to her lack of experience, under Shen Xiao's guidance, she managed to shape the water into a small slime figure with big eyes and a cute tiny mouth.
"Shen Xiao, you're amazing! You understand the water element even better than I do, and I'm the one who actually possesses it. I feel like a fool in front of you," Qingyue praised sincerely.
"Don't say that. You're just starting your training a bit late. With hard work, you'll definitely surpass me."
Shen Xiao smiled, seeing the happiness on Qingyue's face every time she successfully changed the water's shape.
He felt nostalgic, he once had to bleed to reach this level of control, whereas now, he could become stronger just by guiding "The Empress."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Fate Ticket +100]
See?
I'm getting even stronger just by chatting with my wife...
Shen Xiao thought with satisfaction.