**Chapter 8 Guardians**
In the dimly lit conference hall, a video was playing on the projector screen.
The video was not particularly clear, seemingly affected by electromagnetic interference during filming, with the image flickering between bright and dark, occasionally flashing with snow-like disturbances.
Thanks to the projector’s glow, four people could be vaguely seen sitting around the conference table. In the main seat was an elderly man wearing a robe, with hoary hair yet a youthful face. His eyes, almost squinting due to the wrinkles, seemed to be closed in meditation, and a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.
To the left of the elder, a tall young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, dressed in formal attire, sat upright, staring intently at the projection screen with a serious expression.
Opposite to the young man was a person who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, but upon closer inspection bore a certain weariness, characteristic of a middle-aged person. He had a handsome face, a slender body clad in a black tang suit, and smooth, shiny shoulder-length hair that made it difficult to determine his gender.
The last individual was a woman in her early twenties, sitting at the far corner of the conference table. She had a head of golden hair, with a few bluish strands falling in front; beneath her brightly colored baseball shirt, her tanned and slender legs stuck out, resting on the conference table, exuding a cheetah-like vitality.
All four were fixated on the images on the projector screen.
In the video images, the sky was gloomy, with lightning racing through dark clouds, resembling rips in the sky. The fierce wind swirled endless yellow sand, almost reaching the ends of the earth, desolate and lonely.
Deep within the desert, a black tempest cast a sinister shadow over the land, and terrifying roars echoed in the wind.
Thousands of figures dressed in white robes stood in the desert, calling out around the black storm; their voices converged, shaking the thunder. Among them were frenzied individuals who began to charge toward the center of the storm, disappearing in an instant.
Time passed slowly as the images suddenly became unstable, large amounts of snowflakes flashing by.
A figure slowly walked out from the center of the black storm, as if a demon born from the tempest.
Finally, the image froze at that moment.
In the conference room, the woman dressed in formal attire who operated the projector turned on the lights and bowed to the four people at the conference table.
“Guardians, this is the footage that came from Persia yesterday. Please share your thoughts?”
Within the Siye Association, the internal disaster-class spiritual energy manipulators are referred to as “Guardians,” and the four sitting around the conference table are the Black Emperor, General, Wordless Book, and Huaiyuan Jun, all disaster-class spiritual energy manipulators from Siye.
“Tsk!” After hearing the woman’s words, Qin Huai Jun spat in displeasure, saying impatiently, “What are your thoughts? Just tell me who to k*ll!”
“Making decisions is their job, what does it have to do with me, the brawler, and…” he paused mid-sentence, looking at the elderly man in the main seat, curling his lip, “and the old man who teaches.”
As Huaiyuan Jun said, although more than half of the nine disaster-class spiritual energy manipulators within the Siye Association hold important positions, there are also people like her who only participate in actions when fighting is needed, as well as unique individuals like the Black Emperor, who mostly focus on nurturing new bl**d.
Faced with Huaiyuan Jun’s somewhat contemptuous remarks, the Black Emperor was neither angry nor irritated; he simply smiled and agreed, “Hehe, young friend, that’s right.”
“But…” The woman showed a troubled expression.
However, aside from the four of you, the other Guardians have urgent matters at hand. Who can make the decisions, she thought.
“Since that’s the case, let me speak first?” At that moment of difficulty for the woman, the General said, “From the recently affecting footage and the intel sent earlier by the Assassins, this urban legend event should be related to the Miracle Cult.”
“It’s not ‘should be,’ it’s definitely related.” The Wordless Book interrupted, “The white robes worn by those in the footage are exactly the style of Miracle Cult robes from the Middle Ages.”
“But what does this have to do with our Siye Association?” Huaiyuan Jun curled her lip and said, “The Miracle Cult within Z Country has been crushed, and its main members have left the country for fifteen years.”
“Even if the Miracle Cult suddenly became active now, shouldn’t it be the Assassins who are worried?”
The Wordless Book cast a sidelong glance at Huaiyuan Jun, sneering, “Heh, big chest but no brain! Do you think the materials sent to you were meant for toilet paper?”
Hearing that, Huaiyuan Jun’s face darkened, and she suddenly stood up, slamming the table and shouting, “Pah! You rotten yin-yang mutant, say that again if you dare?”
“What? At such a young age, your hearing is already failing?” The Wordless Book looked at Huaiyuan Jun with a side-eye.
“You wait… just see if I won’t break your head!”
“Stop arguing, stop arguing! Let’s keep the peace.” The Black Emperor waved his hands, trying to mediate, appearing as a peacemaker.
The two glanced at the thin old man and showed a look of “your fists are powerful, we’ll listen to you,” calming down.
Seeing them settle down, the General looked at Huaiyuan Jun and explained, “There’s intel suggesting that members of the Miracle Cult active in Central Asia have recently shown signs of approaching Z Country.”
“Well, so what?!” Huaiyuan Jun turned her head away, crossing her arms, rolling her eyes, “What about those guys in the Jade Gate Desert?”
In her first reaction, she hadn’t considered the possibility that members of the Miracle Cult would enter Z Country via the route close to the Kunlun Mountains. The Kunlun Mountains are rife with powerful urban legends, and entering Z Country from that route would be akin to s*icide.
“You don’t know, if it’s just the Miracle Cult members, breaking through the Jade Gate Desert is almost impossible. But since the last Miracle Saint fell in Z Country, it has been ten years.”
“What of it?” Huaiyuan Jun retorted.
“Fool!” The Wordless Book clicked his tongue, “After the fall of the Miracle Cult Saint, a decade later, they will descend again; you don’t know that? By the way, do you know how long a decade is?”
Hearing that, Huaiyuan Jun paused, gritting her teeth, “Of course I know how long a decade is!”
“Oh?” The Wordless Book raised an eyebrow slightly, “How long is it then?”
“I…” Huaiyuan Jun hesitated, her chest heaving a couple of times, rolling her eyes, “Ugh, so annoying! I’m going out to get some air. You all discuss what I need to do, just tell me who to k*ll!”
After saying that, she quickly walked out of the conference room.
As she watched Huaiyuan Jun leave, the conference room door closed again. The General silently sighed, retracting his gaze, opening his mouth as he was about to continue the previous topic, but then suddenly sensed a weak spirit energy fluctuation beside him and caught a glimpse of the Black Emperor suddenly standing up from his chair.
Turning to look, he saw the Black Emperor’s face pale, his squinted eyes fully opened, pupils slightly trembling.
“Senior, did you… remember something important?” the General asked in confusion, privately pondering whether he had overlooked any crucial details while studying the materials related to the urban legend event triggered by the Miracle Cult.
Meanwhile, the Wordless Book also frowned, his expression solemn as he observed the Black Emperor, waiting for his words.
Zhang Hainan, the Black Emperor, current head of the Dachunyang Palace, was rumored to have remarkable strength and expertise in the I Ching and Bagua, even capable of peering into heavenly secrets.
For something to move him to such an emotional state, it must be a horrific disaster!
“Nothing, just need to relieve myself!”
The old man casually dropped this statement and hurriedly left the conference room.
General: “…”
Wordless Book: “…”
————
Outside the conference room.
Outside the ancient corridor, lush greenery thrived, flowers bloomed brilliantly, and the distant green hills were shrouded in thin clouds, creating a serene atmosphere.
Suddenly, a hurried set of footsteps echoed from the building at the end of the corridor.
Following that, an elderly man in a robe rushed out from the doorway, as swift as a gust of wind, then paused in the middle of the corridor, looked around anxiously, climbed over the fence, and headed toward the garden, moving directly towards the back of the rockery.
In the distance, Huaiyuan Jun, who was “getting some air” in the pavilion, was intently searching on her mobile phone for “how many years is a decade,” when she heard the footsteps and turned to witness this scene, tilting her head in confusion.
What’s going on?
Why does this old teacher look like a thief?
As she wondered, her eyes rolled around, and she smiled slightly, rising to head toward the rockery.
Concealing her spirit energy fluctuations and presence, she carefully stepped on the bluestone slab, making not a sound as she crossed the garden. Just as she climbed onto the rockery, Huaiyuan Jun heard a murmur.
Reaching the top, peeking down, she saw the old man crouched in the corner, holding a mobile phone with an anxious expression.
“Old Two, you’re in charge of the review for the spring operatives’ advancement, right? No, no, it’s not about going through the back door, no, it counts as going through the back door! Just tell me how many spots are left!”
“One spot left? Good, good, quickly find someone suitable to pass the review… ah, don’t worry about why, hurry up, if you’re late it’ll be too late!”
“Fang Ji? I’ve never heard of him, just anyone who meets the application conditions, let me know once it’s done. Got it?”
Hearing the affirmative answer from his second disciple on the other end, Zhang Hainan put down his phone and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, letting out a long breath, “That was close, managed to dodge a b*llet.”
The old man is no longer the Zhang Hainan of yesteryears; wanting to approach him under his very eyes is out of the question!
Moreover, Huasang has already been sent over, the disturbance of the bond of fate should have already triggered.
What does that guy still want in the Dachunyang Palace?
Just as Zhang Hainan pondered this, he heard a great honking laugh from above.
“Goose, goose, goose! Old man, I didn’t expect you to look like a teacher most of the time but actually dare to do such things behind the scenes? I caught you now!”
“Helping someone go through the back door? Tsk, shameless!”
Zhang Hainan followed the laughter and took a brief look at Huaiyuan Jun, lowering himself slightly to stand up straight, smiling benignly as he stroked his beard, saying, “Young friend, a decade can refer to ten years, or it can also mean twelve years. The return of the Miracle Saint after a decade is twelve years.”
“What, what are you talking about? I’ve known that for a long time!” Huaiyuan Jun feigned ignorance.
Zhang Hainan gestured to her phone, “Young friend, rest assured, I won’t tell them you didn’t know, but you must keep this a secret for me as well.”
Huaiyuan Jun glanced at her phone, which was stopped at the search interface, then at the kind old man Zhang Hainan, and his slightly clenched fists, falling into silence.
“……”
Is this old man threatening me?
d*mn, and I’m being threatened by him, plus I can’t fight back…
Ugh, so frustrating!
————
In the “V” office of the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Management Bureau.
Jiang Li stared at the computer screen, remaining silent for a few seconds, and calmly said as if nothing had happened, “It’s normal for such situations to arise as the application deadline approaches; you should know that the spots for operative training are always in high demand.”
“However, don’t be disheartened; there will be more opportunities—if you miss this one, there’s the autumn operative training in six months. Remember to submit your application early then.”
“Is that so…” Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully.
Going in six months might be good; this way, I have ample time to prepare.
As he pondered, Lu Yibei suddenly thought of something and asked Jiang Li, “By the way, how’s your spirit pattern advancement preparation going? Should be almost there, right?”
Jiang Li shot a sidelong glance at Lu Yibei, saying lazily, “What? Are you eager for me to leave?”
This guy is probably scheming again, waiting for me to finish my spirit pattern advancement at headquarters to strike, Jiang Li thought.
“How could that be!” Lu Yibei denied, “I’d prefer for you to stay in Huacheng! I’m just concerned about you, leader!”
I’m merely checking if you’ve compromised and accepted the spirit pattern advancement plan headquarters provided, he thought.
Calculating the time, that old pervert on the internet should be sending me the Xiezhi crown now. Lu Yibei mused.
After hearing Lu Yibei’s words, Jiang Li slightly furrowed her brow.
Could it be he knows where to get the materials I need for my spirit pattern advancement?
But if those materials could be obtained through regular channels, headquarters would have notified me long ago, which means most of the channels he knows are likely illegal!
Hmph! Planning something bad again? Absolutely not!
Thinking this, Jiang Li felt a warm glow in her heart and then fixed her gaze intently on Lu Yibei, calmly saying, “I appreciate your good intentions, but this isn’t something to rush; I can wait slowly.”
“Is there anything else? If not…”
“There is, of course!” Lu Yibei interrupted.
“Speak!”
“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Lu Yibei raised his eyebrows.
And then catch a movie together, and then conveniently send you home for a sleepover. Lu Yibei silently added in his heart.
“Not free.” Jiang Li shook her head.
“Why?” Lu Yibei asked in surprise, “Today isn’t even your night shift!”
With a deadpan expression, Jiang Li stared at Lu Yibei, tilting her head, “It’s not that I’m not free; it’s that you’re not free. Today, you’re on night duty; don’t you remember?”
Not long after returning from Tangcheng, due to his “outstanding” performance, a consensus was reached among the operatives of the Siye Association to let Lu Yibei take on a day of night duty and “conveniently” help lighten their workload.
Anyway, recently, aside from Tuesdays, the urban legends in Huacheng have been quite peaceful.
Lu Yibei: “…” I actually forgot, after all, I haven’t done this in a long time.
Seeing Lu Yibei’s expression turn a bit dejected, Jiang Li gently shook her head and winked at him.
[But, I can on the day after tomorrow [heart emoji]]
From those clear eyes, the information was read clearly, and Lu Yibei’s eyes lit up.
[It’s a deal? [DOGE]]
[Yeah, just dinner.]
That’s fine, first time is no strings attached, but the second time might be different; first time’s awkward, the second time’s familiar, and the third and fourth times could lead to more! Lu Yibei thought, stating to Jiang Li, “Then it’s settled; I’ll be leaving now!”
After saying that, he happily left the “V” office.
Watching Lu Yibei leave, hearing a cheer echoing down the corridor, Jiang Li smiled faintly, shaking her head helplessly, then shifted her attention back to the computer screen, pulling up the internal work interface of the Siye Association, quickly entering work mode.
Just under five minutes after she resumed work, a notification popped up in the lower right corner of the webpage.
After reading the content of the notification, Jiang Li’s expression turned serious, “Yancheng has a severe outbreak… Is the Pestilence Taijie’s sealing circle compromised?”
Muttering softly, she noted down the main content of the notification, shaking her head lightly, then forwarded the announcement to the other operatives in Huacheng.
Yancheng is quite far from Huacheng, making it almost impossible for Huacheng operatives to go for support; typically, all that’s needed in such cases is to let everyone know about it and stay vigilant.
————
After leaving Jiang Li’s office, Lu Yibei skipped happily toward the exit of the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Management Bureau.
Although his face bore no expression, one could still tell his heart was as joyful as a silly deer.
It was afternoon, the weather was pleasant, and bright sunlight spilled into the small garden in front of the office building.
Passing by the small garden, Lu Yibei, as usual, kindly waved to the Girl and stuffed a few pieces of prepared corn candy into her hands.
Since witnessing the frightening spirit energy fluctuation of the Girl during the Hundred Demons Walk at the Huacheng Reservoir, he had developed this good habit.
Back then, he had barely achieved a disaster-class spirit energy fluctuation aided by the earth’s energy, while the Girl already possessed a near disaster-class fluctuation without any aid.
If stripping away various external factors, the Girl could be said to be the number one fighting force in Huacheng.
Thus, ever since he found out from Water Brother that the Girl loved all kinds of corn products, he would bring her some corn candy every time he came to the Siye Association.
Consider it bribery… or rather, offering tribute; you get short by the hand you take, and if my identity is ever revealed, she wouldn’t dare to strike hard against me anyway. Lu Yibei thought, retracting his gaze from the Girl, who had displayed a menacing smile.
Just as he stood up, he saw Li Xuan and Huasang walking in through the main entrance.
In an instant, recalling the terrifying experience from the previous night, Lu Yibei’s expression darkened.
Seeing Lu Yibei standing in the small garden, Li Xuan’s eyes brightened, and he cheerfully said, “Lu Yibei, you’re here! Just right, can you help me out?!”
“Hmph!” Lu Yibei lifted his chin, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, letting out a cold snort, glancing toward Li Xuan.
That look seemed to say, “Just wait, your tire is flat.”
Li Xuan: “???”
What is going on? What did I do to offend him?
Yesterday, he was calling me Brother Li and asked me to help provide information on Nightfall Syndrome!
Finally acting normal, but how did he revert to this after just one day?
Li Xuan thought, temporarily suppressing his inner doubts, he smiled at Lu Yibei, saying, “That, can you help me out? Later, can you take my junior sister to the airport? I’m feeling unwell today and can’t be too inconvenient.”
Lu Yibei was on night duty today, and the area around the airport, which has fewer residents and is prone to urban legends, is also in his patrol range, so it worked out perfectly for him to send Huasang.
Lu Yibei glanced at the half-dead “hero” Huasang, hesitating for a moment, then lifted his chin toward the other direction, letting out another cold snort.
“Hmph!”
Li Xuan: “…”
This second cold snort made him feel a bit uneasy.
Something feels off!
Though he didn’t know what bad idea this guy was hatching, he sensed it was related to his car.
“Hmph!”
Just as Li Xuan contemplated, Lu Yibei coldly snorted again, then looked at Huasang and asked, “What time is your flight?”
Addressing the matter, not the person—he couldn’t just be revering her endlessly in the investigation report and then ignore her when she was leaving, could he?
That’d be too obvious. Lu Yibei thought.
Huasang thought for a moment and slowly said, “Four-thirty in the afternoon…”
