An unassuming loft room inside the Division compound.

Deep into the night.

Lights still burning. Occasional laughter from inside.

Behind a low table, Aqian wore an expression of unusual seriousness, brush in hand, leaving line after line in the gilt record book.

Jiang Chengyun stood in silence behind her. He watched his grandmother concentrating, then looked at the handwriting — which looked like earthworms had been rolling through ink — and instinctively looked away.

He remembered she'd had fine, elegant calligraphy in her youth.

Too long following the Howling Moon Demon King around, and she'd grown rusty at everything, down to holding chopsticks.

Dozens of demon-hunters with all their jianghu habits stood in something loosely resembling a queue, too restless to keep still. One woman was cheerfully mocking a colleague.

"Looks like you went on a nature walk. Three demon qi traces, all Jade Liquid level. How did you come back here with your face intact?"

"Mind your own business."

The man rolled his eyes, picked up his copper bell from the table, and walked toward the loft exit.

He nearly ran into an unfamiliar face.

He stopped, curious. "Brother, new here? Haven't seen you before."

The woman who had been doing the mocking waved vigorously — Lin Rou, not seen in some time. "Commander Shen, you're back too!"

Shen Yi gave a small nod to the man and stepped into the loft.

"Commander?" The man blinked, and then stood in the doorway without moving further. In the same instant, both Aqian and Jiang Chengyun raised their heads.

"Could've said something when you got back." Jiang Chengyun produced something that was almost a smile.

Every demon-hunter in the room stared. Apparently this perpetually unimpressed man didn't have a permanent expression of disdain after all.

"Just arrived."

Shen Yi walked to the back of the queue.

Aqian set down the brush to re-dip in the ink, and with this many people watching, dropped the child's act for once.

"Just come up. They're all deep in conversation — they won't mind waiting a little."

Honestly, she hadn't expected Shen Yi to show…