She slowed her steps, the faint scent of old paper and incense lingering in the corridor as she continued,
"But after I crossed into the yellow rank, I realized sothing I never noticed before."
Her fingers curled slightly at her side, nails pressing into her palm as if grounding herself.
"Only those who are not destined to die... their visions appear in front of . Anyone else, no matter how close or how often I et them, I can’t see their visions at all."
Mr. Crow froze mid-air, his feathers ruffling in disbelief. "That sounds far-fetched," he blurted out.
"There’s a high chance you’re being misled. How can you be so confident about sothing like this?"
Lana didn’t stop walking. Her footsteps echoed softly against the floor as she muttered under her breath,
"I didn’t notice it at first either."
She exhaled slowly, the air leaving her lungs tinged with unease.
"But the feeling keeps returning. It’s as if only those who shouldn’t die have their futures shown to , as if I’m being given a chance to interfere."
Her eyes darkened slightly. "Otherwise... heaven wouldn’t hesitate to strike back."
Those words sent a faint chill through the air. Mr. Crow felt it instinctively, an unspoken pressure pressing down on his chest.
He didn’t interrupt, because sowhere deep inside, he sensed that Lana’s words carried an unsettling weight of truth.
Lana continued, her voice calm yet heavy. "Think about it. I’ve resolved many cases already. Naina’s case. And the old man from before."
Her brows knitted together as mories surfaced. "Back then, I wanted to change the old man’s ending. I truly did."
She paused, the image vivid in her mind. "But before I could act, signs started appearing. Almost like heaven itself was stopping ."
Her lips pressed together. "His granddaughter suddenly showed up. I was able to glimpse fragnts of her behavior, and it explained everything. Why he shouldn’t survive. Why interfering would be wrong."
Her voice dropped. "It felt like heaven was placing the choice in my hands... deciding who lives and who dies."
Lana stopped walking and tilted her head upward, staring at the ceiling as if trying to peer beyond it.
"I know it sounds ridiculous," she said quietly, "but I can’t shake the feeling that heaven is testing ."
Mr. Crow remained silent, his usual sharp tongue nowhere to be found.
After a few steps, Lana halted again. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she turned slightly. "You know sothing, don’t you?"
Mr. Crow reacted instantly, shaking his head. "No. I don’t know anything."
Yet the hesitation in his eyes betrayed him. Lana didn’t press further. She only nodded faintly, already having her answer.
After a mont of silence, she spoke calmly, "Either way, Axel won’t die."
Mr. Crow’s heart skipped. "When?" he asked anxiously. "When do you think he’ll die?"
"Two years from now," Lana replied without hesitation.
Mr. Crow let out a long sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. "That’s... still ti."
He frowned thoughtfully. "But if that’s the case, it won’t be sothing ordinary. Axel is strong enough to deal with almost anything."
His voice lowered. "If he dies, it’s either an accident... or a ghost possession."
He paused, eyes sharp. "And for a possession to succeed, the ghost would have to be stronger than him."
His gaze flickered toward Lana. "Which ans... it’s a ghost you can’t handle alone."
As if sensing his thoughts, Lana replied evenly, "Even if it’s powerful, the ghost should be around five hundred... maybe a thousand years old."
Mr. Crow went silent.
To face sothing like that... She would need to reach the celestial rank.
Lana’s voice cut through his thoughts. "It doesn’t matter whether I reach celestial rank or not."
Her eyes were steady, unshaken. "I’ll deal with it."
There was no arrogance in her tone, only quiet certainty. "I have yellow mystical energy now, and I’ll be testing it today. My talismans alone already put at an advantage."
She clenched her fist lightly. "As long as I keep improving, whatever danger cos... I’ll face it."
Just then, her phone vibrated.
The sudden buzz broke the tension. Lana glanced down and answered imdiately.
From the other end, Naina’s calm voice flowed through the speaker. "Where are you right now?"
Lana instantly caught the faint excitent hidden beneath the composure. Her eyes brightened. "What happened?"
"There’s a big deal," Naina replied. "Sothing you’ll definitely profit from. If you’re free, et ."
Lana didn’t hesitate. "Send the location."
Soon after, she arrived at the café Naina ntioned, the aroma of roasted coffee beans filling the air.
The place offered private rooms, shielding conversations from prying ears. Lana slipped inside, smiling as she took a seat across from Naina.
"What’s the rush?" Lana asked lightly. "Did you find a bargain you want to brag?"
Naina smiled. "Not test. I found one."
She slid a letter across the table.
Lana unfolded it and read. As her eyes moved across the words, her expression slowly darkened.
The proposal was clear.
Naina would provide lessons, from basic to advanced, capable of dealing with ghosts ranging from one-year-old to twenty-year-old spirits.
She would supply talismans equivalent to ten thousand talismans per month. In exchange, she would obtain fifty percent ownership in a local police unit.
When Naina had first seen the deal, she had brought it straight to Lana. Lana was the one with the connections.
Seeing Lana’s grim expression, Naina hurriedly added, "The fifty percent would be yours. I’d only act as a front, on paper."
Lana understood what Naina ant. Yet Axel’s earlier words echoed in her mind.
So this is how they see now.
Her brows furrowed. Her value had clearly risen in so eyes... and fallen in others.
Objectively speaking, the deal was extrely favorable. Owning a stake in a police unit ant authority, protection, and influence. It ant few would dare to bully her openly. It also made purchasing estates far easier.
But more importantly, it ant direct access to higher authorities within the city.
If one day she needed their help, reaching them would be effortless.
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