The system says there are no ghosts.

Chapter 7 The Hidden Decision

When Chen Yi woke up, he found A Qi floating by the window, looking at the sunlight outside.

His figure was even fainter than yesterday. The gray mist at the edges seemed to have been diluted, its color becoming much lighter.

"Are you alright?" Chen asked.

Ah Qi turned his head and smiled.

"It's nothing, it's just that the transmission of the cultivation technique took a bit of energy. I'll be fine after a rest."

Chen looked at him but didn't say anything.

He knew Ah Qi was putting on a brave face, but he didn't call him out on it.

"Are you coming with me, or staying in the dorm?" Chen asked.

Ah Qi was stunned for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to work today," Chen Yi said, "to the cleaning center. Are you coming with me, or staying in the dorm?"

Ah Qi remained silent for a while.

"Can I come with you?"

"I'm not sure," Chen Yi said. "You're a wandering soul, and I'm not sure how far you can go after leaving the spirit vein. But you followed me from the spirit vein to the spirit bridge station yesterday, so you should be fine, right?"

Ah Qi thought about it.

"I can give it a try," he said. "If I can't keep up, I'll come back."

Chen nodded.

He rolled out of bed, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. Sunlight streamed in, somewhat dazzling.

"Then come with me."

Ah Qi floated to his side and remained silent for a few seconds.

"……Thanks."

Chen Yi didn't say anything.

He walked to the table, turned on his spiritual terminal, and prepared to order breakfast.

The "Preferred Foods" interface pops up.

Chen Yi's finger hovered over the screen, stopping at a familiar merchant.

"As long as you're full."

His signature dish is ordinary spirit rice, which costs 0.05 spirit stones. It's his go-to choice every morning.

He opened the menu and looked at the colorful options.

The spiritual energy content is normal.

Plan your spirit stone expenditures wisely.

The Heavenly Dao System reminds you that the path of cultivation begins with every meal.

Chen Yi stared at the screen for a few seconds, then moved his finger away.

He randomly ordered a set meal.

Mixed grain spirit noodles cost 0.08 spirit stones. This is 0.03 spirit stones more expensive than usual.

"Why are you being so generous today?" Ah Qi floated over, glanced at the screen, and said, "Don't you usually order the 0.05 spirit stone set meal?"

Chen Yi did not answer.

He simply confirmed the order and then put the terminal aside.

When breakfast was delivered, Chen Yi was standing by the window, looking down at the Spirit Riders.

It was a young man riding a modified electric tricycle, the body of which was covered with a protective film against the evaporation of spiritual energy. He placed the lunchbox at the door and then knocked.

"Your spiritual food has arrived. The spiritual energy content is normal. Please sign for it promptly."

Chen Yi opened the door and took the lunchbox.

The spirit rider smiled at him, then turned and left.

As Chen Yi watched his retreating figure, he suddenly noticed a detail.

The Spirit Rider's hand.

His fingers were slightly translucent in the sunlight. It wasn't an illusion; they were truly transparent. It was as if the light had passed directly through his fingers, and there was nothing on the ground.

That must be a fluctuation in the concentration of spiritual energy.

still is……

"There's something on him," Ah Qi's voice came from behind, very low. "Look at his shoulder."

Chen Yi looked in the direction Ah Qi pointed.

A faint wisp of gray mist floated on the Spirit Rider's shoulder. It was so faint that it was almost invisible. But the Spirit Eye could see it.

That was a dead soul.

The soul that has become one with the Spirit Rider.

Chen Yi paused for a moment.

"That is..."

"Possession," Ah Qi said. "A very weak kind. The Spirit Rider might not even be aware of it."

Chen Yi watched as the Spirit Rider rode away on his tricycle, his figure disappearing around the street corner.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know," Ah Qi said. "It might be the remnant soul of a cultivator executed by the system that has attached itself to him. This kind of thing is rare, but it's not unheard of."

Chen Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked down at the lunchbox in his hand.

The spiritual energy content is normal.

He took his lunchbox back to his room and started eating breakfast.

The public prayer station was crowded.

Chen Yi, carrying his tray, found a seat in the corner. A Qi floated in the shadows beside him, her figure low, looking like a wisp of mist.

The cafeteria's loudspeaker was broadcasting promotional messages for the system.

"Absorb spiritual energy rationally and avoid wasting resources. The Heavenly Dao System reminds you that the path of cultivation begins with every meal."

Chen ate while glancing at his colleagues around him.

Several cleaners huddled together, heads down, scanning their spiritual terminals. A middle-aged man was taking "Standard Supplement A" very quickly, as if he was in a hurry. A young man sat in a corner, lost in thought, with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

Like Chen Yi, they were all low-level cleaners. They earned 5 spirit stones a month and did the dirtiest and most tiring work.

Chen Yi lowered his head and continued eating.

"What are you looking at?" Ah Qi asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing."

He didn't want Ah Qi to worry.

There weren't many people in the mission lobby.

Chen Yi found a corner to sit down, letting A Qi hide in the shadows beside him. The holographic projection in the center of the hall was still scrolling through various task information, but there were very few tasks assigned today, and most of the cleaners were resting.

Several colleagues passed by Chen Yi, and one of them nodded at him.

"Chen Yi, why are you here so early today?"

"It's nothing," Chen Yi said. "I'm used to it."

My colleague didn't ask any more questions and left.

Chen Yi leaned back in his chair, waiting for the task assignment.

He didn't know what task he would receive today. But he didn't care. He had more important things to think about right now.

Ah Qi hid in the shadows beside him, without saying a word.

Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance of the hall.

Chen Yi looked up and saw a middle-aged man walk in.

The man was about forty-five years old, with a wrinkled face, and wearing a faded gray work uniform. He had a cigarette between his fingers, and through the swirling smoke, his eyes were somewhat cloudy, but occasionally a sharp glint would flash in them.

Old cigarette.

The most senior cleaner in the cleaning center. Rumor has it that he has worked in this position for over twenty years and is the most mysterious person in the entire cleaning center.

Chen Yi had met him a few times, but they had never spoken.

Old Yan walked into the hall and glanced around at the crowd.

Then, his gaze fell on Chen Yi.

Just for a fleeting moment.

Chen Yi felt a chill run down his back.

Old Yan's eyes... didn't seem to be looking at an ordinary cleaner. They seemed to be looking at something else entirely.

Then, Lao Yan looked away and walked towards the counter.

"That person..." Ah Qi's voice came from the shadows, tinged with a hint of wariness, "I feel there's something strange about him."

"strangeness?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Ah Qi said. "I just felt that he was different from other people."

Chen Yi remained silent.

He watched Lao Yan's figure disappear behind the counter, and felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

Just then, a voice came from the other side of the counter.

"Chen Yi".

That's his name.

Chen Yi stood up and walked towards the counter.

Old Yan stood behind the counter, a lit cigarette between his fingers.

He glanced at Chen Yi, his eyes holding something indescribable.

"Are you Chen Yi?"

"Yes."

Old Yan didn't say anything.

He just stared at Chen for a few seconds, as if confirming something.

Then, he took a piece of paper out of his pocket and placed it on the counter.

"Tonight, clean up section B-3 of the basement level," he said in a low voice. "Don't let anyone see you."

Chen Yi was taken aback.

"What?"

Old Yan didn't answer.

He pushed the note forward a little, then turned and left.

Chen Yi watched his figure disappear into the crowd, then looked down at the note.

There were only a few words on the note.

"8 PM tonight. Basement level."

He looked up and gazed in the direction where the old cigarette had disappeared.

"What does this mean?" Ah Qi's voice came from behind, tinged with confusion. "Why did he ask you to go to the underground level?"

Chen Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

he does not know.

But he knew one thing.

The way Old Yan looked at him just now didn't seem like he was looking at an ordinary cleaner.

It looked more like they were looking at something else.

Chen put the note into his pocket and walked towards the task allocation area.

Today's task is an F-rank cleanup mission, located in an abandoned spirit field in the east of the city. It's not difficult, and the reward is 0.5 spirit stones.

Same as yesterday.

He accepted the task and left the cleanup center.

Ah Qi floated beside him, remaining silent the whole way.

"Are you planning to go?" Ah Qi finally asked.

"go."

Why?

Chen Yi thought about it.

"I don't know," he said, "but that old smoker... he had something on him."

"What is it?"

"I don't know," Chen Yi repeated, "but the way he looked at me...it didn't seem like he was looking at an ordinary person."

Ah Qi remained silent for a while.

"What do you suspect he knows?"

"I don't know," Chen Yi said, "but I want to go and see."

Ah Qi didn't say anything.

The two continued walking forward.

Sunlight streamed onto the stone path, casting a long shadow of Chen Yi. A Qi floated beside him, leaving only a single shadow on the ground. In the distance, the outline of the cleaning center appeared somewhat blurred in the sunlight.

Chen reached into his pocket and touched the note.

Tonight at 8 PM.

Underground level.

He didn't know what was there. But he had a premonition.

Something different will happen tonight.