"Stand up," Section Chief Liu repeated.
Ren stood up slowly, hunching his shoulders. He adopted the universal posture of a teenager who just wants to go back to his room.
Mr. Liu towered over him. Up close, the Section Chief didn't just look tired; he looked dangerous. The air around him felt heavy, like the pressure drop before a thunderstorm.
Mr. Liu leaned in. His dark eyes scanned Ren's face.
"Open your eyes," Mr. Liu commanded. "Wider."
Ren obeyed. He forced his spiritual core to go dormant. He pushed every ounce of his Authority down into his stomach, burying the green fire under layers of mundane fear.
Mr. Liu stared directly into Ren's pupils.
[ SYSTEM WARNING ] [ SOUL SCAN DETECTED ] [ SOURCE: REAPER'S GAZE (TIER 3) ] [ DEFENSE: PASSIVE CAMOUFLAGE (ACTIVE) ]
The seconds stretched out. Ren could feel the Reaper's gaze physically touching his soul, like a cold finger probing for a crack in the glass. If Ren flinched, or if his Mana leaked even one percent, Mr. Liu would summon that scythe.
"Brown eyes," Mr. Liu muttered, straightening up. "Clear. No dilation."
He took a step back, but his frown deepened. He sniffed the air again.
"But you reek, son. Lilies. Formaldehyde. That's the smell of a morgue."
"It's my grandma," Ren lied quickly, his voice cracking perfectly. "She... she burns a lot of incense. For the ancestors. It gets into my clothes."
Mr. Liu paused. "Grandma? You're a Wu, aren't you? Living in the old house on Elm?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Liu's expression softened, just a fraction.
"The Wu Matriarch," Mr. Liu nodded respectfully. "She's a good woman. Keeps to the Old Ways. That explains the smell."
Jian, who had been holding his breath until he turned blue, finally exhaled.
"See, Dad?" Jian laughed nervously. "He's just... religious. Super religious. Can we go back to gaming now?"
Mr. Liu looked at the computer screens. He looked at the map of the city. Thankfully, Jian had already closed the hacking window.
"No," Mr. Liu said, unbuttoning his coat. "I came home early because the Dispatch Grid is going haywire. I need to eat before I head back out."
He looked at Ren.
"You're staying for dinner."
It wasn't an invitation. It was a summons.
Ren swallowed hard. "I really should get g—"
"I insist," Mr. Liu cut him off, his voice heavy with authority. "I want to know who my son is spending his time with. Wash your hands. Kitchen. Five minutes."
Mr. Liu turned and walked out, his boots thudding heavily on the stairs.
Ren looked at Jian.
"He knows," Ren whispered. "He doesn't have proof, but he suspects."
"He's testing you," Jian hissed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Dinner is the interrogation. If you slip up—if you show even a hint of abnormal strength or knowledge—he'll arrest you between the appetizer and the main course."
Ren straightened his hoodie. "Fine. What's for dinner?"
"Dad cooks," Jian said grimly. "And he likes spicy food. Ren... Reapers use Spirit Peppers to test for possession. If you're a demon, it burns your throat out."
Ren smirked. "I love spicy food."
The dining room was silent except for the sound of chopsticks hitting porcelain.
Mr. Liu had prepared a hot pot. The broth was a bubbling, angry red.
Ren sat across from the Section Chief. Jian sat to the side, picking at his rice like it was poisoned.
"Eat," Mr. Liu commanded, dropping a slice of beef into Ren's bowl. "You're too skinny. The Wu family needs strong heirs."
"Thank you, sir," Ren said.
He picked up the beef. It was coated in red oil.
[ ITEM ANALYZED: GHOST PEPPER BEEF ] [ CONTAINS: PURIFIED YANG CHILI ] [ EFFECT: BURNS IMPURE SPIRITS ]
Ren put the meat in his mouth.
Immediate pain. It wasn't just heat; it was a spiritual fire designed to exorcise low-level ghosts. If Ren had been a possessed corpse, he would be screaming right now.
But Ren wasn't a corpse. He was the one who used to fill the graves.
He chewed slowly. The heat seared his tongue, but he forced a smile.
"Delicious," Ren said, swallowing. "Great kick."
Mr. Liu watched him closely. When Ren didn't burst into flames, the Reaper nodded approvingly.
"Good tolerance," Mr. Liu said. "Most kids these days can't handle real spice."
Mr. Liu took a sip of tea.
"So, Ren," Mr. Liu began, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "What do you think about the news?"
"The news, sir?"
"The missing cargo," Mr. Liu said. "A Class-S container was lost in transit yesterday. Right near your neighborhood."
Ren's heart skipped a beat. He took a drink of water.
"I don't watch the news much," Ren said. "Too much homework."
"Is that so?" Mr. Liu leaned forward. "It's strange. We had a trace on it. The signal vanished exactly when you would have been walking home from school."
The air in the room grew heavy. The Ward of Silence in the walls seemed to hum louder.
"Dad," Jian interrupted, his voice high. "Ren gets a C in History. He thinks logistics is a type of yoga."
Mr. Liu ignored his son. He kept his eyes on Ren.
"And then today," Mr. Liu continued, "there was a massive spiritual detonation at your high school. In the girls' bathroom. You were there, weren't you?"
Ren put his chopsticks down.
This was the trap. If he lied and said he wasn't there, Mr. Liu would know (attendance records). If he said he was there, he was a suspect.
Ren looked Mr. Liu in the eye.
"I was nearby," Ren admitted. "I heard a noise. Like pipes bursting. Jian and I... we ran away."
"You ran away?"
"Yes, sir," Ren said, channeling the most cowardly energy he could muster. "I don't like trouble. My grandma says if you hear strange noises, you walk the other direction."
Mr. Liu studied him. He was looking for the warrior's pride. He was waiting for Ren to brag.
But Ren gave him nothing but mediocrity.
"Smart grandma," Mr. Liu finally said, leaning back. "Curiosity kills more than just cats in this city."
Mr. Liu reached into his pocket.
Ren's muscles tensed under the table. Was he reaching for handcuffs? A weapon?
BZZZZT.
Mr. Liu pulled out a black smartphone. It was vibrating violently against the table surface.
He looked at the screen. His eyes widened.
"Liu speaking," he answered, his voice snapping into professional mode.
Ren watched. This was it. The gamble.
"What?" Mr. Liu barked into the phone. "Confirmed? Are you sure?"
He listened for a moment, his face darkening.
"The Happy Ending Funeral Home? Are the readings accurate?"
Ren kicked Jian under the table. Jian suppressed a grin.
"Understood," Mr. Liu said, standing up abruptly. "Lock down the perimeter. Do not engage until I arrive. If it's a Rogue Cultivator, he's dangerous."
Mr. Liu hung up. He looked at Ren and Jian.
"Dinner is over," Mr. Liu said, grabbing his coat. "I have to go. Emergency at the edge of town."
He stopped at the door and looked back at Ren.
"Ren."
"Yes, sir?"
"You passed the spice test," Mr. Liu said. "But you still smell suspicious. Tell your grandma to ease up on the incense."
"I will, sir."
Mr. Liu opened the door. "And stay inside tonight. Both of you. The streets aren't safe."
SLAM.
The door closed. The heavy footsteps faded down the driveway. Then, the sound of the SUV peeling out.
Silence returned to the dining room.
Jian slumped forward, burying his face in his hands.
"I thought I was going to die," Jian groaned. "I thought he was going to pull out the Soul Shackles right there next to the hot pot."
Ren picked up his chopsticks and calmly took another piece of beef.
"Your dad is sharp," Ren admitted. "He suspected me. But he trusts his instruments more than his gut."
Ren ate the beef.
"And right now, his instruments are telling him the bad guy is three miles away."
Jian looked up. "So we're safe?"
"For tonight," Ren said. He checked the timer.
[ TIME UNTIL PURGE: 59 HOURS, 40 MINUTES ]
"But we just sent the entire Reaper force to the Funeral Home," Ren said thoughtfully. "Which means whoever is running that place—the one who sent the Mirror Maiden—is about to have a very bad night."
Ren stood up.
"Or," Ren corrected, a dangerous glint returning to his eyes, "he's going to escape in the chaos. And if he escapes, he takes his secrets with him."
"Ren," Jian warned. "Don't say it."
Ren smiled.
"We need to go to the Funeral Home."
"Ren!" Jian shouted. "My dad just went there! With a SWAT team!"
"Exactly," Ren said, heading for the door. "The Reapers will break down the front door. Which means the back door will be wide open."
Ren looked at Jian.
"Grab your laptop. I want to see who had the nerve to invade my territory."