> "You want to interrogate me? Sure, just let me put this pot of flowers inside first."
— Lin Zhou · Temporary Herb Shop Worker and Cosmic-Level Forbidden Physique Holder
---
[Inside the Spirit Herb Shop]
The ground still bore cracks of rune patterns left from the disturbance of the ancient ruin, the air faintly carrying a trace of blue glow, though the spiritual pressure had already calmed.
Li Xinglan stood in the courtyard, her Judgment Spear flashing with cold white starlight, pointed straight at Lin Zhou.
Her voice was as sharp as the winter wind, carrying pressure:
> "Lin Zhou, the Star Surveillance System has listed you as an 'Unknown-Origin High-Anomaly Spirit Source.' Temporary interrogation procedures are now in effect."
Lin Zhou tilted his head, holding a pot of spirit herbs. "Didn't you just say I was sitting on a stone slab?"
"That slab is the entrance to Forbidden Ruin Site No. 7 of the Imperial Capital."
"How was I supposed to know you buried it so close to the surface?"
Li Xinglan was momentarily speechless.
Lin Zhou placed the flowerpot in a corner and patted the soil off his hands.
"Interrogation is fine, but don't damage my Nine-Leaf Licorice."
Off to the side, Xiao Li raised his hand: "Wait, wait, wait—!"
Li Xinglan glanced at him. "Who are you?"
"I'm his… partner," Xiao Li puffed out his chest. "You think just because you dress nicely you can do whatever you want? My bro's got a job now. He has dignity. He's a registered temp worker at our herb shop."
Li Xinglan: "…"
Lin Zhou patted Xiao Li's shoulder. "It's fine. You go ahead. I'll move the soil once I'm done talking with her."
---
[Temporary Interrogation · Herb Shop Courtyard]
Li Xinglan and Lin Zhou stood face to face, spiritual barriers flowing around them, the surveillance mirror hovering silently in midair.
She said coldly:
> "Your existence has already disrupted three leyline waves, accidentally triggered one ancient ruin, caused one Level-3 surveillance alert, and made the surveillance mirror respond over forty-two times."
> "You claim to be a mortal, yet you've caused such large-scale energy anomalies. Do you think that's normal?"
Lin Zhou sat on a rickety wooden stool and replied:
> "I think the abnormal ones are you."
Li Xinglan's gaze sharpened. "Do you understand that if your 'anomaly' type cannot be confirmed, you may be classified as a 'Potential World-Ending Factor' and be subjected to forced reclamation?"
Lin Zhou looked at her calmly:
> "You can try."
In an instant, the spiritual pressure in the courtyard dropped like a collapsing roof.
Outside the barrier, the surveillance officers nearly fainted. "Did he just provoke her?! He dares to provoke Lady Li?!"
However, Li Xinglan paused slightly.
The moment those words left his mouth—
The star tracks in the sky trembled like plucked strings, the light in the air rippling like disturbed water.
Surveillance images blurred for a brief moment, and energy detection instantly failed.
Alarm bells rang in her mind—
> "This isn't provocation… This is some kind of 'will-based reaction.' As long as killing intent is directed at him, the world's origin will step in to protect him."
Only now did she understand why the Surveillance Hall had never issued a complete suppression order—
This man… was not a destroyer of Heaven's laws,
but some kind of "patch" embedded in the foundation of the world.
—One that could neither be judged nor removed.
---
[Interrogation Continues · Emotional Trigger Point]
Li Xinglan forcibly suppressed the tremors in the spiritual field and continued coldly:
> "If you want to keep living, you must accept round-the-clock emotional monitoring and tracking from the Star Hall."
Lin Zhou looked at her. "Does that mean I can't have emotional fluctuations? Can't sneeze? Can't get angry?"
"Can you still control that now?"
Lin Zhou fell silent.
Suddenly, he lowered his head and clenched his fists.
"What if… one day I really do get angry?"
Li Xinglan stared at him. "…The entire Star Domain would tremble."
Lin Zhou slowly stood, asking softly:
> "Then how would you deal with me? Chains? Prison? Drugs? Or sealing my soul and erasing my mind?"
There was no anger in his voice, no hatred—
Only weariness suppressed for far too long.
Li Xinglan was stunned.
For the first time, she felt something from this "high-risk target"—
Sadness.
---
[Xiao Li Bursts In · Atmosphere Instantly Collapses]
"Bro! The shopkeeper sent you a new uniform! It's pink!"
Li Xinglan: ???
Lin Zhou: "…That's pretty bright."
"It looks great! I tried it, but I'm too skinny."
Li Xinglan watched them seriously discuss the pink work uniform, the cracks forming in her cold mask.
In the end, she let out a long sigh, put away her spear, and turned away, speaking lightly:
> "From today onward, you may move freely. But you must report your emotional fluctuations to the Star Surveillance Hall every day."
> "I will personally supervise you."
Xiao Li blinked. "You're staying?"
Li Xinglan's tone was cold and firm: "I don't believe you'll behave."
Lin Zhou: "I can't even bring myself to eat a second steamed bun."
"That makes me even more suspicious."
---
[Chapter Ending · Full-Scale Surveillance]
The entire Star Surveillance Hall was forced to establish a "Lin Zhou Daily Response Team."
One person monitored whether he sneezed,
One tracked if he laughed,
One analyzed his emotional resonance with Xiao Li,
And one recorded exactly how long Lin Zhou looked at Xiao Li each day (accurate to the second), marking in the daily report whether it contained "fondness" or "disdain."
System Bulletin:
> "Target: Lin Zhou, supervised personally by Star Judge Li Xinglan."
"Classification: Unclassifiable Entity."
"Threat Level: Unknown · Extremely Dangerous."
"World Notice: Stay vigilant—he's just trying to live a quiet life."