An answer immediately surfaced in Qin Yeâs mind. However, despite opening and closing his mouth several times, he found himself unable to speak his answer.
Hellâs Gate, Death InquisitorâŠ
Assigning her to a seat on Hellâs Gate would naturally strengthen the law enforcement capacities of the new Hell. The stronger she was, the more they would be able to quell any Yin riots. Even though Su Dongxue was only at the level of a Netherworld Operative, her mimicry ability effectively elevated her to a Hunter-class existence!
HoweverâŠ
Can I really appoint a strip club worker who would in her ecstasy forget to collect payment from her guests as a Death Inquisitor? Wouldnât the Yin spirits drain Hell dry of all resources under her watch⊠no⊠where would I have to bury Hellâs reputation after her appointmentâŠ
âAre you certain?â Qin Ye asked Arthis with some measure of doubt in his heart.
âIâm certain⊠Or would you prefer to go back and kill your fellow Comrade Wang Chenghao? If you canât bring yourself to do that, sheâs the next best candidate right now.â Arthis continued indifferently, âHell has just been reestablished, and all the Yin spirits in the vicinity who detect this would immediately come swarming over like a massive tide. Would you believe it if I told you that the total number of Yin spirits in the new Hell has already increased by ten to twenty thousand in your absence today? Or do you intend to head down into Hell to manage its affairs everyday?â
She glanced at Qin Ye, âLook at the dark circles under your eyes. Are you prepared to give up sleep altogether?â
Qin Ye sighed. This was truly his greatest headache right now.
People⊠no, ghosts!
He needed manpower to clear the forests; he needed manpower to clear construct buildings later, and he would even need manpower to take the seats at Hellâs Gate and act as Death Inquisitors. Everything required manpower! Yet there was not a single person in Hell he could trust!
Arthis thought to build on her previous comments, but capitulated when she saw that Qin Ye was already deep in thought.
Some things couldnât be taught - especially matters of governance. Qin Ye was on the path of assuming the mantle of the next King Yanluo, and he would have to manage far more affairs than could ever be fathomed in the mortal realm. There were presently approximately 1.5 billion people in Cathay, but the number of Yin spirits in Hell could reach tens of billions later on! If Arthis had to teach Qin Ye everything⊠Hell was bound to descend into chaos in no time.
âCome with me to Hell tonight. You can count yourself lucky.â Qin Ye instructed Su Dongxue, âNow find yourself an object to cling to.â
Su Dongxue nodded her head obsequiously, and thenâŠ
She transformed into a nethergale and shot straight into Qin Yeâs pants.
âBloody hell⊠canât you be more demure than this?! Get out!â
âMy lord⊠Iâm already being very reserved⊠Itâs just that itâs warm and snug and comfortable in here. After all, Iâve not absorbed Yang energy for almost a hundred years nowâŠâ
â... Donât you dare go in there! Do you believe it when I say Iâll cleave and shatter your soul to pieces?!â Qin Ye gritted his teeth and loosened his pants.
Su Dongxue flew out in dismay. It had to be said that she was a beauty through and through. Her slight frowned made the vibrance of spring dim slightly; while her glistening eyes seemed to contain a multitude of emotions.
âMy lord⊠isnât big enough, and there isnât enough Yang energy. I wouldnât have been able to live there anywayâŠâ She grumbled softly.
Qin Ye gazed into the distant sky and rolled his eyes. Then, he picked up Song Jiafangâs portrait and pointed to it with an ashen face, âGet in there!â
âPetty.â Su Dongxue muttered under her breath with a pout, before transforming into a nethergale that swept right into the portrait.
He picked up the picture frame and made his way back up to the surface. Then, as soon as he leapt out of the pit, he was immediately stunned.
It was still well before dawn, and the time was approximately four in the morning.
Yet there was a row of police cars parked approximately twenty meters from his location. Several policemen were staring at him with a grim expression. The collapsed house was cordoned off with police tape, and there were even eight people standing right outside of the hole right now!
A white-haired old man stood at the front of them all. He was flanked by three men in white coats standing in a row. The SRC emblem was imprinted on their chests. There were two agents bearing the emblem of the Insignia Province Special Investigations Department standing right behind them. And then, there was Su Feng and Lin Han.
âS9527?â The old man stared at him with a burning gaze, âIs it⊠over down there?â
Perhaps he realized he hadnât been specific enough, so he quickly stepped forward and asked anxiously once more, âI mean, have you finally⊠breached this hunting zone?â
Qin Ye immediately drew the connection and understood what was going on.
How astute could he be? With this, his earlier speculations as to the truth behind Li Taoâs final condition had just been confirmed.
âFourthly, Mount Tai City has a school research team that is currently working on a project in collaboration with the SRC. Any interruption of your own volition will be considered an interference.â
The three daolords are squaring off against the mortal realm, and neither is yielding any room to the other. Naturally, the more the mortal realm understood Yin spirits, the better things would be for me. Besides, wouldnât I receive some form of benefits or reward from having resolved the problem plaguing this hunting zone?
âYes.â Qin Ye smiled faintly at the old man.
âGood lad.â One of the men in white lab coats gazed deeply into his eyes, âWeâve been working on this project for almost half a year now. Unfortunately, we havenât made much progress, since weâre not even sure where to begin. Yet youâve overcome all odds and cracked it overnight. No wonder youâre known as the highly acclaimed expert who managed to breach nine hunting zones in the span of a single night.â
Lin Han and Su Fengâs eyes gleamed brightly.
Just then, the portrait suddenly shifted, and Qin Ye immediately tightened his grip hard around the picture frame.
Su Dongxue quietened down reluctantly.
âNot bad.â The old man heaved a long sigh of relief, âI wonder if youâve got the time now? Weâd like to update the file with your account of the incident, as well as any conjectures you may have as to these circumstances.â
âRight now?â Qin Ye was somewhat displeased. You⊠Iâve just completed the mission. Shouldnât you be talking about the reward first?
Life is meaningless without the pursuit of profit⊠Isnât it rather inappropriate to immediately ask me for a report without any consideration for my delicate health?
Where is the humanity?
âThatâs right.â Another man in a white lab coat chimed in excitedly, âThe research topic of Professor Yuâs research group is âThe Diversity of Yin Spiritsâ. Any success in this regard would be incredibly helpful to the current situation. It hasnât been easy picking out these hunting zones, so we truly canât wait to hear your report on the details!â
This is why I say that⊠itâs hardest to communicate with members of academia. Canât you see the constipated expression on my face right now? Shouldnât you have realized something amiss by now? What happened to the governmentâs emphasis on observant cultivators?
Despite Qin Yeâs protracted display of a dismayed expression, the rest remained oblivious to his intentions. The same four pairs of impassioned gazes continued to burn through his body.
I canât afford to offend these guys⊠Qin Ye sighed in his heart. Several seconds later, he finally responded, âThat can be arranged, but⊠the earlier battle with the Yin spirit has taken its toll on me. Itâs incredibly peculiar and unpredictable, and Iâm carrying a lot of injuries right nowâŠâ
He left a pregnant pause, coughed several times, and then said somewhat breathlessly, âIâm still a little giddy right now. But you could give me some time to recuperate⊠or perhaps even lend me some help in this regard, I think things will go on much more smoothlyâŠâ
Su Feng and Lin Hanâs mouths opened agape.
Shameless!
Absolutely shameless!
How could you ask the SRC for a reward directly? Do you know what kind of standing members of the SRC have? They are the only independent department in all of Cathay that stands on par with the Special Investigations Department!
âBullshitâŠâ Lin Han whispered softly, âHoly shit⊠this kid dares to talk terms with Old Man Yu⊠How is this any different from stretching his arm out and asking for a reward? Doesnât he know who Old Man Yu is?â
Su Feng was also stunned. His lips opened a closed several times before he finally managed to pull himself together, âBloody hell⊠Iâm going back to change all references made to this idiot to Bullcrap QinâŠâ
Unfortunately, reality was a cruel thing. Even though Qin Ye was a superb actor, his supporting cast was simply unwilling to work together with him.
Professor Yu stepped forward with a glint in his eye and grabbed Qin Yeâs hands, âThe master of this hunting zone is merely an Operative-class Yin spirit. Are you saying that an Operative-class Yin spirit was able to injure you? How were you hurt? In what ways was the Yin spirit peculiar?â
â... Professor Yu⊠I meanâŠâ
Isnât there something wrong with your ability to focus on the subject matter here?
Me! Iâm feigning illness! Whereâs the warmth that you should be displaying towards your fellow human being?!
âMr Qin, your report is of paramount importance to our research topic here!â Professor Yu drew a deep breath and dragged Qin Ye along as he continued speaking, âAs soon as we complete this research project, all of us will be accorded with a second-class meritorious deed. Itâs second-class⊠weâre talking about four sets of special privileges here. I sincerely hope to see your name on this award as well.â
Ehh?
Qin Ye gently wrested his hand free from Professor Yuâs grasp and coughed solemnly, âDonât worry! It is my duty to render a proper report!â
His voice was now firm and resolute.
âBut is your body alright?â Professor Yu asked worriedly after taking two steps more, almost as though this notion had just occurred to him.
âIâm always fighting for the four modernizations of Cathay! Whatâs a mere minor injury to the body?!â Qin Ye replied with a steadfast and upright tone of voice.
Professor Yu adjusted his thick glasses and led the way out of the cordoned-off area.
âYouâre astoundingâŠâ Lin Han and Su Feng followed quickly behind. Lin Han stared at Qin Ye as though he had just seen a ghost, âDo you know who he is? How dare you talk terms with Old Man Yu? Do you believe me when I say he holds the power to evict you from the First Academy of Cultivators with a single phone call? You canât educate others when you possess such a bad attitude, understand?â
âWhatâs his background?â Qin Ye was somewhat startled, âBy the way, what are you guys doing here to begin with?â
âBloody hell. I just knew that you havenât looked at the chat app yet.â Su Feng rolled his eyes at Qin Ye, âTake a look for yourself.â
Professor Yu had already entered a car, and he was presently discussing or explaining some matters with some other men dressed in white lab coats. Several policemen had already begun to enter the pit in an orderly fashion. Having surveyed his surroundings once more, Qin Ye finally opened up the chat app.
Everything had exploded.
The First Academy of Cultivators Class of 2018 Instructorsâ Group had exploded with messages.
He flipped through several pages of messages before he finally got to the message that triggered everything. The initial message had been posted just ten minutes ago.
Zhou Xianlong: âInstructor S9527 - first to complete C-grade mission âLost Tracksâ. Awarded 20 teaching credits. An additional 5 teaching credits have been awarded for each of the following achievements - first to complete a mission; and difficult mission bonus.â
âInstructor S9527 currently has a total of 40 teaching credits. Rank: top of the leaderboards.â
âPlease work harder, everyone.â
The message board below exploded frenetically!
It was approximately 4 a.m. now, yet these cultivators had come buzzing around like a swarm of flies that didnât need rest at night.
âSeriously?! This is only the first day, and someone has already accumulated 40 credits? S9527 is a little too demonic, isnât he?!â -- A5423.
âIâll be damned⊠Iâve had such a hard time securing a D-grade mission, and I havenât made head or tail of what exactly Iâve got to do either, and yet someone has already completed a C-grade mission? Iâm pleading on my knees as I read this group chat for inspiration!â --B0769.
âI bow down and worship you⊠The Faculty of Combat is too fortunate to have someone like him. I wonder what level of qualifications S9527 will be assigned at this rate? Iâve already got a bad feeling about the teaching credits in the upcoming semester⊠Separately, I think that such people should be eliminated from the list of instructors altogether! He should compete against the other Hellguard-class experts instead!â --A6859.
âSilence!â Zhou Xianlong banned all incoming group messages, and added the following message, âC-grade missions are originally assessed to be cleared in the span of fifteen days. It was only because S9527 had completed the mission too quickly, that a part of the original embargo on information has now been lifted.â
âNumber one. All instructors who have received a C-grade mission are now permitted to ask S9527 for more details, since the grade of the mission no longer determines the top of the leaderboard.â
âThis is a gentle reminder that all instructors who do not attain at least 60 teaching credits at the end of our stay in Mount Tai City will be impelled to resign. You are not deemed fit to teach at the First Academy of Cultivators. Number twoâŠâ
âInstructors who receive at 90 credits shall qualify for the First Academy of Cultivatorsâ list of outstanding instructors.â
âAt the end of two months, Vice Principal Li shall be announcing the benefits and privileges for each and every position and rank in the First Academy of Cultivators. Everyone⊠please seize every last opportunity you can find. Time⊠is running out.â
1. The four modernizations were goals first introduced in 1977 in order to strengthen the fields of agriculture, industry, defense and science and technology in China, in a bid to rejuvenate Chinaâs economy.
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