Chapter 211: Talkative Judge

She happily slipped the jade token into her pajama pocket, patted it, and felt that today's luck would improve.

Then she contentedly flopped back onto the bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and in an instant fell into a dark‑sweet dream, a faint smile of unexpected joy lingering at the corner of her mouth.

As for the origins of the thermos and the jade token?

We'll talk about it after waking up! The world is big, but sleeping is biggest!

Ten Kings Office.

Unlike the warm laziness of the Qingque Family, the Ten Kings Office is forever pervaded by an inescapable chill.

The light is dim, ancient runes on the walls flicker in and out of view, and the air seems to carry an unseen whisper.

If it were the usual Huo Huo, walking this corridor toward the superior's office would already have made his Tail bristle, heart pound like a drum, and wish to crawl along the wall.

But today—

Wearing the oversized black sunglasses she impulsively bought at a street stall, believing they would add a sense of authority, she kept her back straight and her steps steady and swift.

The sunglasses covered most of her face and seemed to block much of the psychological pressure from the surroundings.

She clenched the Resignation Letter tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white, but from exertion, not fear.

(Hand it in, and I can leave this damned place… just finish the Task… it's nothing serious…)

She repeated those words in her mind, both to pep herself up and to steel her resolve.

After Weiba Daye was forcibly "muted," the world grew considerably quieter, and the mocking voice that always rang in her ears vanished, leaving her with a strange sense of "relaxation" and "courage."

She went straight to Han Ya Judge's office door; Huo Huo didn't even cautiously knock or whisper as before, but reached out directly—

"Creak—" she pushed the door open.

Inside the office, the light was similarly dim.

Han Ya sat upright behind a massive desk piled with files, holding a red ink brush and swiftly reviewing documents.

Her aura was cool, her expression serene, as if no external turmoil could disturb her in the slightest.

Hearing the door, she didn't lift her head; only the tip of her brush paused briefly.

Only when Huo Huo reached the desk did she raise her eyes.

The Huo Huo before her made even the well‑versed Han Ya pause for half a second.

She still wore the Judge's uniform, still had a petite, timid figure, but the mismatched oversized black sunglasses on her face—and the almost brazen aura they couldn't hide, unlike her usual shrinking demeanor (though others might think it's just a small creature's bravado)—all felt abnormal.

"Lord Han Ya."

Huo Huo spoke, her voice muffled yet unusually clear.

Han Ya set down the brush, looked at her calmly, and waited.

Huo Huo inhaled deeply, then, as if using all her strength, slammed the scorching Resignation Letter with a "thwack" onto the top of the mountain of paperwork before Han Ya!

The paper met the heavy files, producing a crisp sound.

"Talkative Judge!"

Huo Huo puffed out her chest, trying to sound tough, but her naturally soft voice made it sound more petulant, "I! Want! To! Resign!"

(…Talkative Judge?)

In Han Ya's perpetually still eyes, a faint ripple of almost speechlessness finally flickered.

She glanced at the resignation on the desk, then looked up at the subordinate before her, wearing the ridiculous oversized sunglasses, trying to look fierce yet utterly lacking intimidation.

(Was she overly provoked by "Tail"? Or finally couldn't hold back any longer?)

Han Ya instantly formed a judgment in her mind.

With her knowledge of Huo Huo and the troublesome Sun Yang inside him, this sudden "hard‑headedness" and abnormal behavior was ninety‑nine percent caused by whatever Weiba Daye was stirring up again, or Huo Huo herself…

As for those sunglasses…

Probably just a childish, laughable attempt at psychological defense.

Having finished her internal analysis, Han Ya's face returned to the usual bureaucratic neutrality.

She neither got angry nor pressed further, and didn't even touch the resignation.

Dealing with this, she had her own method—a calmness bordering on coldness, yet often effective.

She merely hummed softly, then reached into the pile of pending case files beside her, skillfully pulling out one, and gently.

It was a standard field‑investigation Task sheet from the Ten Kings Office.

The address was an old mansion long abandoned for years, rumored to be unsettled.

The reason: "Recent reports of abnormal noises from nearby residents; a Judge is required to investigate and conduct preliminary handling."

"Complete it."

Han Ya's voice was flat, as if stating the weather, "Then you may leave."

Her logic was simple and direct:

Since you want to resign to escape the pressure of this job, I'll give you a directly related minor Task.

If you complete it, it proves you at least can handle basic duties, and resignation might still be negotiable (though she'll likely refuse); if you fail or get scared back, you'll have no face to demand resignation and will have to return honestly to keep adapting.

How long Huo Huo's current abnormal bravado will last, or whether she can handle that possibly genuinely odd abandoned mansion, is not within Han Ya's current considerations.

The Ten Kings Office's work tolerates little cowardice or willfulness.

Huo Huo's gaze fell on the Task sheet, and the brows behind the sunglasses furrowed.

She didn't hesitate, snatched the Task sheet in one hand, and scanned it quickly.

Then, she lifted her head, stared through the sunglasses at Han Ya, and, still with that forced vigor, asked, "Are you sure? Just finish this one?"

"Of course."

Han Ya's reply was concise, without a hint of hesitation.

"Fine!"

Huo Huo stopped the chatter, folded the Task sheet, tucked it together with the Dark Red Brocade Pouch in her arms, then made a crisp turn, walked out of Han Ya's office at a pace faster than when she entered, without looking back.

The door gently closed behind her.

The office fell silent again.

Han Ya's gaze lingered on the door for a moment, then fell back onto the resignation letter slapped atop the stack of documents.

Her face remained expressionless; she simply picked up the vermilion brush again and continued reviewing the previous documents, as if the little disturbance just now were merely an insignificant interlude in the daily tedious paperwork.

However, she had lightly pushed that resignation letter to the corner of a pile of documents awaiting processing, with no intention of opening it for the time being.

And Huo Huo, who had walked out of the main building of the Ten Kings Office and stood again on the somewhat chilly street, felt the outside wind blow, and her forced composure eased a little.

She pinched the task slip and the sachet in her pocket, and pursed her lips behind her sunglasses.

(Abandoned old residence…… inspection……)

A hint of familiar chill seemed to try to crawl up her spine.

But she shook her head hard, shaking off that timidity.

(It's nothing big! Just get it done!)