119: He drew his sword without hesitation.

Lin Luo followed closely behind, his voice soft and slow: "Sister Nianyao, your Director Zhou... is he also at the hospital?"

Ye Nianyao didn't look back, her calm voice traveling through the dim light of the corridor: "He's here for you."

Lin Luo shrugged imperceptibly—when did he ever have such Face? He sped up half a step, his voice carrying just the right amount of curiosity: "Sister Nianyao, what does the Special Affairs Department usually have you do? You're always on duty, yet I've never seen you around."

"Don't pry into things that don't concern you." Ye Nianyao's tone was flat, yet it carried an impassable boundary.

Lin Luo raised a hand to touch the tip of his nose and tactfully curled his lips: "Fine, I'll shut up."

The two walked in silence for dozens of steps.

"Away from the Old Man's control, you've certainly been living a carefree life." Ye Nianyao stopped abruptly, a look in her eyes that was hard to read when she glanced back.

Lin Luo twitched the corners of his mouth awkwardly: "I wouldn't call it carefree, it's just... a matter of Destiny."

"It's all an ill-fated connection." Ye Nianyao's voice suddenly turned cold. "How about we sever it? What do you think?"

Before the word "No" could leave his mouth, a sword's light flashed like cold lightning through the air—the sharp blade brushed past his hair, and a few severed strands slowly drifted down. If Lin Luo hadn't leaned back rapidly, this sudden strike would have cut off more than just hair.

He retreated several steps, fingers lightly touching his neck, his heart still racing: "Sister Nianyao, we haven't seen each other in so long, why do you still draw your sword at a word?"

A cold arc curled at the corner of Ye Nianyao's mouth as she closed in like lightning, the tip of her sword aiming straight for Lin Luo's lower body. Lin Luo leaped into the air in a fright, forcing himself into a split mid-air to narrowly avoid the vital area. His palms pressed down hard on her sword-wielding wrist, his Face pale: "Sister Nianyao, you're trying to end my family line!"

"Too much nonsense." Ye Nianyao flicked her wrist to shake off his suppression, her blade turning back like a wandering Dragon as it slashed toward his ankles. Lin Luo tapped his toes lightly on the blade to borrow strength, and the moment he flipped and landed, she had already closed in, her left hand forming a palm strike aimed straight at his chest.

"Bang!"

Lin Luo raised his arm to block but was shaken back three steps, his arm going numb. Before he could catch his breath, the sword shadows arrived again, this time aiming for his belt.

"Wait! If that sword goes through, my pants will really—"

Before he could finish, Ye Nianyao suddenly changed her move, her long leg whipping out like a lash. Caught off guard, Lin Luo was kicked in the abdomen and sent flying, crashing heavily through the Hospital Director's office door at the end of the corridor.

Amidst the flying wood chips, he lay among the wreckage of the door, grimacing. Looking up, he met a pair of polished black leather shoes. His gaze moved up the straight suit trousers to see Zhou Dong sitting behind the office desk, unhurriedly placing a teacup back onto its tray without spilling a single drop.

There were two others in the office. One wore a spotless white coat with a calm aura, seemingly a scholarly doctor focused on the laboratory; the other was dressed in a suit and tie, holding documents. At this moment, both were frozen, momentarily speechless by the sudden intruder.

"It seems," Zhou Dong's gaze swept over Ye Nianyao, who stood at the door having sheathed her sword, then fell back onto Lin Luo amidst the mess on the floor, the corners of his lips curling slightly, "that your reunion was quite pleasant."

"Ugh..." Lin Luo rubbed his still-aching abdomen, his gaze lingering on Zhou Dong's Face for a moment before he suddenly realized, "You look familiar. You're from the Zhou family... who were you again?" He cleared his throat and stood up as if no one else were there, casually brushing the dust off his clothes.

Zhou Dong didn't take offense; instead, his smile deepened: "Not bad, you still remember I'm from the Zhou family. My name is Zhou Dong—" He leaned forward slightly, his tone steady but carrying an unquestionable weight, "and now, I am your superior."

Zhou Dong calmly raised his hand, first pointing to the elegant man in the white coat: "Doctor Fujino, Miss Kanae's primary surgeon. If not for his miraculous skills, what you'd be seeing now would be a very different scene." His wrist turned slightly, gesturing toward the middle-aged man in the suit next to him, "This is the Hospital Director of Yueyemu Hospital. If he hadn't specially authorized the emergency channel and mobilized the entire hospital's resources that night, your Butterfly Girl might not have made it to the operating table."

Lin Luo's expression turned solemn, all his previous playfulness vanishing. He straightened his posture and bowed deeply to the two: "I will keep your kindness in my heart." When he rose, his gaze met Doctor Fujino's, his tone exceptionally grave: "Doctor, how is she now...?"

Doctor Fujino gently pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses gentle and professional: "Miss Kanae's physical condition is very good, and her recovery speed has exceeded expectations. However..." He paused, opening the medical record in his hand, "The follow-up care for her organ damage needs special attention. She must have absolute rest during this period."

The Hospital Director spoke up at the right time, his smile carrying the magnanimity of a healer: "Mr. Lin, there's no need to be so polite. Yueyemu Hospital has always upheld the principle of life above all else. To witness a miracle of life is an honor for us as healers." His gaze swept over Ye Nianyao standing at the door, and he added pointedly: "Besides, for a case personally commissioned by the Special Affairs Department, we would naturally give it our all."

Lin Luo noticed the deep meaning in the Hospital Director's words and couldn't help but look at Zhou Dong. This nominal superior had just taken a sip of strong tea and spat out a tea leaf stuck to his lip like a common uncle, as if the previous conversation had nothing to do with him.

"In that case..." Just as Lin Luo started to speak, a scabbard tapped neither too hard nor too light on his shoulder.

Ye Nianyao had stood beside him at some unknown point: "Once the pleasantries are over, it's time to talk business." She turned to Zhou Dong, "The person has been brought." Before her voice even faded, she prepared to turn away.

"Nianyao." Zhou Dong called out to her while rubbing his temples. After Doctor Fujino and the Hospital Director nodded understandingly and left, he said seriously: "The matter with Doma was arranged by my Anti-Ghost Action Group."

He paused, and seeing Lin Luo's expression remained normal, he added: "The three of them—it was also my order not to interfere."

Lin Luo remained silent.

"From now on, you can rest easy; those ghost creatures won't dare trouble you again."

Seeing that Lin Luo still wouldn't say a word, Zhou Dong finally couldn't help but click his tongue: "Don't you have anything to say, kid?"

Lin Luo curled his lip, his tone flat: "What should I say? I plead guilty to the attack on the Prime Minister—what do you want me to do?"

Zhou Dong looked at him with a grin: "You're a smart kid, to actually know I intentionally let you get dragged in. Don't you blame me?"

Lin Luo answered honestly: "I can't beat you."

"Since the pressure from the demons is no longer a concern, you'll be assigned to Nianyao's squad." Zhou Dong patted Lin Luo's shoulder, smiling broadly.

Lin Luo and Ye Nianyao's voices rang out at the same time:

"No way."

"Fine."

Before the words had even finished, Ye Nianyao flicked her wrist, and the scabbard whipped through the air, landing precisely on Lin Luo's lips, stifling any further protest.

"Cough..." Lin Luo covered his numbed lips, blood seeping through his fingers. He glared at Ye Nianyao, but she had already calmly sheathed her sword, as if she had just brushed dust off her sleeve.

Zhou Dong chuckled and smoothed things over: "It seems Nianyao welcomes your joining very much." He deliberately ignored Lin Luo's accusing look and took a file from the drawer, "Since there are no objections, let's look at the first mission."

When Ye Nianyao took the file, her fingertip tapped lightly on the words "eight feet." After Lin Luo leaned in to see the contents, he frowned: "Another urban legend series?"

"I almost forgot, you already have two legendary evil spirits in custody. It seems it's all Destiny," Zhou Dong laughed.

Lin Luo shrugged. "For a mission like this, it's just a single strike for Sister Nianyao. I won't get involved."

Ye Nianyao ignored Lin Luo's intent and nodded: "Fine, we'll take this mission. The two of us are enough. Those two have been saying they want a break, so let them have a good rest."

Lin Luo was dissatisfied. "I want to rest too. I haven't had a normal daily life for a long time."

Ye Nianyao looked at him coldly. "Come on, let's go to the courtyard. I'll see if you still want a daily life."

Lin Luo quickly held down her hand as she went to draw her sword again. "Can you change your habit of drawing your sword at every turn?"

Ye Nianyao had the habit of drawing her sword, but not the habit of listening to advice. With a deft twist of her wrist, she broke free from his grip, and her long leg traced a sharp arc in the air—this kick was so powerful it sent Lin Luo flying right out of the floor-to-ceiling window of the Hospital Director's office.

The sound of shattering glass poured down like a sudden rainstorm. Lin Luo's figure traced a pathetic parabola in the air, falling heavily onto the lawn in the courtyard, startling several resting birds.

Before he could stand, Ye Nianyao's eyes sharpened, her long sword unsheathing with a ring as she leaped out of the broken window frame like a white crane gliding through the air. A streak of silver Sword Qi slashed down from mid-air, but as it came within three feet of Lin Luo's body, it struck a circulating golden light barrier—a humming sound rose, and the golden light didn't crack in the slightest.

Lin Luo stood up straight, grimacing as he rubbed his lower back: "Sister Nianyao, I've been going easy on you..." Before he could finish, the second strike arrived. The golden light shook again, ripples spreading, and Lin Luo was jolted back three steps, though his mouth remained defiant: "Don't push me anymore. If I really strike, you might not be able to block it."

Ye Nianyao performed a sword flower and landed steadily, her pale fingers lightly stroking the blade: "Your tongue has certainly grown sharper." When the sword tip rose again, the cold glint was three times stronger.

Zhou Dong looked at the mess of the floor-to-ceiling window and shook his head helplessly: "What a sin."

Ye Nianyao's third strike arrived silently.

This strike was completely different from the previous ones. Before the blade even reached him, a condensed Sword Intent pierced through the golden light, stabbing straight toward Lin Luo's brow. His expression turned solemn, and the circulating golden light around him suddenly contracted, turning into a solid golden shield in front of him.

"Clang!"

The sword tip struck the golden shield, producing a crisp and long-lasting ring. With the point of contact as the center, ripples vibrated violently across the golden light. Lin Luo's feet sank deep into the turf as he was pushed back several meters by the force of the strike.

"Going for real?" Lin Luo raised an eyebrow, but there was no panic in his eyes. He pressed his right fingers together like a sword, and a spark of pure yang golden light suddenly lit up at his fingertip, tapping precisely on the spine of Ye Nianyao's sword.

"Hum—"

The long sword let out a wail. Ye Nianyao felt a scorching force travel down the blade, making her entire arm go numb. She used the momentum to spin and shed the force, a flash of surprise in her eyes, which was immediately replaced by even stronger Battle Intent.

"Interesting."

Her sword style changed again, no longer pursuing fierce power. The sword tip trembled slightly, turning into seven points of cold stars, aiming for Lin Luo's major acupoints. Every strike was a mix of feint and reality, the sword path erratic, clearly intending to break his defense with skill.

Lin Luo didn't dare be careless. His body moved like a willow in the wind, dodging and weaving under the protection of the golden light. The golden light between his fingers occasionally formed a sword and occasionally an imprint, parrying the cold stars one by one. The sound of metal clashing was as dense as a sudden rainstorm. Golden light and sword shadows intertwined into a net in the courtyard, with Qi energy overflowing, blowing down all the surrounding vegetation.

Unable to land a hit for a long time, Ye Nianyao's mind stirred, and her sword moves changed again. Her figure suddenly accelerated, actually manifesting three afterimages that attacked from different directions simultaneously. Each afterimage was filled with chilling Sword Intent, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Lin Luo's pupils constricted, and he finally stopped simply defending. He took a deep breath, and the golden light around him erupted, as dazzling as a small sun.

The brilliant golden light surged in all directions like a tide. Its extremely firm and yang aura instantly swallowed all three sword shadows. The afterimages dissipated in the golden light, revealing Ye Nianyao's true body. She held her sword horizontally in front of her, pushed back several steps by the majestic force, the stone slabs beneath her feet shattering completely.

This commotion had already alerted the entire hospital. In front of the window of Kanae's ward, everyone held their breath and watched. Peng Geng rubbed his prickly short hair and grinned: "I knew Sister would definitely get into a fight with Brother Luo."

Chen Yu comforted the nervous crowd behind him in a calm tone: "No need to worry, this is just a bit of minor squabbling between them."