# 303
Chapter 303: Spirit Medium
Lin Qiye caught sight of the two figures entering the cafeteria from the corner of his eye and waved at them.
Fang Yanghui walked over with a smile. “Didn’t expect you to be the kid who crippled Han Jinlong yesterday.”
Lin Qiye smiled, introduced the two to An Qingyu, and sat down.
“By the way, do you know Wu ‘Old Dog’?” Lin Qiye suddenly asked.
“Wu ‘Old Dog’?” Wang Lu and Fang Yanghui exchanged glances. “A bit.”
Lin Qiye’s eyes lit up. “Tell me what you know.”
“Why the sudden interest?”
“We’re all in Sunshine Psychiatric Hospital; I’ve run into him a few times and got curious.”
Lin Qiye didn’t speak the full truth—not because he distrusted them, but because the matter of Wu “Old Dog” was still unclear. Revealing that he could enter other people’s dreams might cause trouble. In the Purification Chamber, it paid to be cautious.
“We’ve been here a while, so we’ve seen Wu ‘Old Dog’ a few times…” Fang Yanghui began. “All I know is he used to be on the Spirit Medium squad, then got kicked out for some reason, and—” He hesitated.
“And what?”
“Even before I came in, I’d heard rumors… that Wu ‘Old Dog’s’ mental break was tied to the Spirit Medium squad. Supposedly, they’re still hunting him.”
“Hunting him?” An Qingyu frowned. “He was their teammate—why would Spirit Medium want him dead?”
“No idea.”
“That doesn’t add up,” Lin Qiye mused. “If he’s still receiving treatment here, he can’t have crossed Night Watch’s bottom line. Headquarters would never let a special squad kill one of its own.”
“I agree,” Wang Lu nodded. “Fratricide doesn’t fit Night Watch. Rumors are just rumors.”
An Qingyu suddenly asked, “How long has Wu ‘Old Dog’ been in this hospital?”
Fang Yanghui thought. “He was already here before we arrived… at least eight or nine years.”
“Eight or nine years? Does psychosis even take that long to treat?” An Qingyu’s brows knitted.
Lin Qiye started. “You mean—”
“This is the psychiatric wing of the Purification Chamber,” An Qingyu said slowly. “Eight or nine years of ‘treatment’ is basically a prison sentence. It could be punishment—or—”
“Protection,” Lin Qiye finished. “With Great Xia’s tightest security and a Human Apex on site, keeping Wu ‘Old Dog’ here is safer than anywhere else.”
Everyone fell silent.
If the hospital was indeed shielding him, who wanted him dead?
The rumor already pointed to the answer.
“If headquarters wants to protect him, why not just order Spirit Medium to back off? Would a special squad really defy a direct command?” Wang Lu asked.
“And even if they did, is a Human Apex really needed to stop them?”
“If it’s Spirit Medium… maybe.” Fang Yanghui rubbed his chin. “Of Great Xia’s four special squads, only the mythical 001 is more secretive than Spirit Medium. Their job is to hunt ultra-high-risk malignant ability users inside Great Xia—including the Church of the Ancient Gods’ gods. They stay hidden; no one’s ever seen their faces. All people remember is their abyss-black cloaks.
And their captain is acknowledged by Night Watch brass as… the strongest beneath Human Apex.”
“That strong?” An Qingyu exclaimed. “No wonder Wu ‘Old Dog’ is stashed in the Purification Chamber—without a Human Apex, nowhere else could hold him.”
“I still don’t buy that a special squad would turn on its own,” Lin Qiye shook his head. “There’s more we don’t know.”
“Perhaps,” An Qingyu sighed.
“I’ve got another question,” Lin Qiye said.
“Shoot.”
“Why dump all the fish on me?” He stared at the mountain of fillets on his plate. “Am I a cat?”
An Qingyu studied him, then smiled. “Yes.”
…
Thousands of kilometers away.
Church of the Ancient Gods.
Beneath a gloomy sky, an ancient black church stood halfway up a mountain, skeletal branches like steel spikes clawing at the heavens.
A gray-robed figure climbed the rugged path and pushed open the heavy doors.
Creak…
The sound echoed through the cavernous nave, sending ravens flapping in frantic circles beneath the vaulted ceiling.
On three thorny thrones deep inside, Yiyu, shrouded in shadow, narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.
“You’re finally here.”
The gray-robed man stepped into the center; two other gray robes already waited. He lifted his hood, revealing a calm face, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed.
“Fifteenth Seat of the Believers, Shen Qingzhu, reporting for Lord Yiyu’s orders.”
Yiyu nodded from the shadows. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get straight to it. The target is extremely troublesome. Shen Qingzhu, as a newcomer, you’ll observe. Beside you are Second Seat and Fifth Seat—learn from them.”
Shen Qingzhu blinked; partnering with such high-ranking Believers was a first.
“My lord, our target is…”
On the thorny throne, Yiyu’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Purification Chamber—former Spirit Medium vice-captain… Wu Tongxuan.”