Chapter 33: Great Cleanup Operation (Part 2)

His mother’s disgust was only one “ptui” away from coming out.

When rural women protected their own, their combat power was extremely strong.

After being scolded, Wang Zhiyuan’s face also sank.

His girlfriend tugged at him, and he said awkwardly, “I just heard in the group that Chen Yi is taking the civil service exam this year. What if he’s too busy to manage? I was just asking out of concern.”

His mother, Xiang Lan, said, “If he’s too busy, the children still have me and their grandfather to take care of them. We can manage somehow and let him do his own things. Thank you for your concern. If there’s nothing else, hurry up and eat. We’re going to eat too.”

When there was nothing to say, even half a sentence was too much. She directly opened her mouth to drive them away.

Wang Zhiyuan curled his lip and muttered, “Still taking the civil service exam…”

Then he took his girlfriend to settle the bill and leave.

Chen Yi, who had been operating the Aura Concealment Art the entire time, was not discovered even though he stood face-to-face with them. The two of them brushed right past him.

Chen Yi withdrew his gaze from Wang Zhiyuan’s back and came to the table. Only after he pulled out a chair and sat down was his arrival noticed.

“Daddy!” Little sister Linbao was the first to offer up a fried chicken wing. “Saved it for you.”

“And mine.” Qianbao also forcefully endured his reluctance and pushed the fries, of which he had barely eaten two, in front of Chen Yi.

Chen Yi really was a little moved.

The story of Kong Rong giving up the pears was from a book. It was specifically studied precisely because it was a classic example.

In reality, three-year-old children did not have that many thoughts. They only knew that what was placed in their own bowls belonged to them. Yielding to their parents was something that came after they started school.

For them to do this now, it was impossible that no one had prompted them.

Chen Yi looked at his mother.

His mother said, “Little Lou taught them. The children can tell the difference between a teacher and family. When Little Lou speaks, it works better than when I do.”

Chen Yi looked at Lou Ting. “Thank you.”

Lou Ting shook his head. “Was it resolved?”

“It was.”

Lou Ting let out a breath, his smile one of relief, then asked him, “How long have you been here?”

Chen Yi told the truth. “A while.”

“You heard everything?”

“Mm.”

Lou Ting looked deeply at Chen Yi. “Do you want me to act?”

“The benefits of power?”

“No. Respect. Summer insects cannot speak of ice; cicadas know nothing of spring and autumn. When you are saving the world, people who live muddleheaded lives have no right to insult you. I can have someone collect his information. All it takes is one word from you.”

“…”

Chen Yi stared at Lou Ting’s face for quite a while. At last, he said, “Do you also want to become my personal disciple?”

Lou Ting blinked. The “black-bellied once cut open” look he had just worn instantly turned into that of a “little lamb.” He smiled sheepishly and said, “Everything I said was sincere. But if you think there’s still something useful about me, then being a personal disciple is fine too.”

“Since you’re so reluctant, forget it.”

Lou Ting seized Chen Yi’s hand with a smack. “Master above, please accept me~”

They all received Technique Transmission together every day, but the benefits gained by a personal disciple and someone who was not a personal disciple were worlds apart. Lou Ting had been envious for a long time and finally said it aloud.

There were only four “personal disciple” slots left. At present, there was only Technique Transmission, but there might be other benefits in the future. Everyone knew how precious these slots were.

Anyone who did not covet a slot was a fool.

What a pity. Chen Yi truly had no way to decide who to give the remaining slots to.

“Ahem!”

Just then, an awkward cough sounded. Chen Yi raised his head and only then discovered that Xun Shiming was standing beside them. He had not known at all.

Could it be that Xun Shiming had also cultivated the Aura Concealment Art?

But at the first level of Qi Refining, he still could not use the Aura Concealment Art. Even if he forced it out, the effect would not be good. Not to mention hiding from someone with Chen Yi’s cultivation right in front of him.

If it was not an accident, then Xun Shiming was a hidden talent for reconnaissance. Thinking of how extremely low-key he usually was in the sect, it was most likely the latter.

“Why are you here?” Lou Ting was surprised, then thought of something. “On a mission?”

“Mm.” Xun Shiming looked at Chen Yi. “When I saw the Sect Master here, I knew I had come for nothing. Is the Sect Master doing an itinerant mission?”

Chen Yi: “…”

Why did it feel like the whole world knew he was traveling on public funds?

Chen Yi had not expected to run into an acquaintance here. Especially after hearing that he was on a mission, he asked a couple of curious questions.

Xun Shiming lifted the collar of his blue plaid shirt and said a few words in a low voice to the hidden microphone.

Chen Yi’s ears were sharp and his eyes clear, and he heard him say distinctly, “All units, attention. Withdraw.”

Afterward, Xun Shiming did not sit down. He said apologetically, “Since the Sect Master is here, I’ll go back first. When you have time, I’ll come find you to learn the details of this aberration for the file. Please enjoy yourself.”

“Wait.” Chen Yi stopped Xun Shiming. “Here, are there many missions?”

“On any given night, there are four or five missions at least.”

“Can I go over to your place later and take a look? Go out with you on a couple of missions?”

Xun Shiming’s eyes lit up. “It would be our honor!”

…

The topic of personal disciples was not brought up again because of Xun Shiming’s appearance.

After all, Lou Ting had only been half joking when he said it, and he was also very clear that Chen Yi could not possibly agree.

The slots that had already been given out were one thing. If he interfered again, that would be improper. When cooperating with the state, one had to understand boundaries.

After dinner, they took the children to the toddler area to play again. No one mentioned the cultural performance starting.

The children were not interested in performances. They had come here in the first place only to keep the children company.

Not far away, fireworks rose into the sky and bloomed brilliantly.

The children shouted excitedly, so happy they could not contain themselves.

Seeing them smile, Chen Yi was happy too. He kissed each little cheek once and kept playing with them until the park closed before they left.

Less than two minutes after getting into the car, the children fell asleep. He had originally planned to send the children back to the hotel before going to the Demon-Suppression Bureau branch, but the faint, intermittent stench of aberrations he smelled along the way made Chen Yi dismiss his original idea.

He had Lou Ting drive directly to the Demon-Suppression Bureau branch.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau headquarters was in the capital. That was the political and economic center of Xia, as well as its largest city. With five Night Watchers at the first level of Qi Refining stationed there daily, it was enough to handle almost all current aberrations and awakened people.

Logically speaking, as the strongest Night Watcher aside from Chen Yi, Captain Ye should have been stationed in the capital long-term, just as described in the book, becoming the first director of the Demon-Suppression Bureau. After the protagonist appeared, he would only appear in the form of history.

But Chen Yi’s transmigration, as well as his act of handing over the sect system to the state, changed everything.

Not only was there a chance to change Captain Ye’s ending of dying early of old age, it had also turned him from a front-line Night Watcher into an existence like a nation-stabilizing weapon. On ordinary days, he mostly cultivated in the sect to improve his own abilities while also training more outstanding Night Watchers.

Only when regular forces could not handle a situation would he move out like thunder to suppress it.

Next were the Demon-Suppression Bureau branches arranged in the capitals of the various major provinces.

According to a city’s population size, as well as the dangerousness assessment of the overall ideological trends among the city’s populace conducted by online cyber police, cities were divided into different levels. In the end, corresponding high-level Night Watchers were selected and sent to each location.

The capital of C Province, C City, was a super-large city second only to the capital, extremely dangerous in both population and ideological trends.

Chen Yi sat in the car as it drove beneath the night curtain of this city late at night. The occasional strands of foul stench drifting into his nose all represented the ghosts, monsters, demons, and aberrant things hidden in unseen corners.

Aberrations could never be completely exterminated. They fed on human thoughts, and fear was the most common bait. Thus, they were also nurtured into all sorts of bizarre shapes, wandering through the darkest corners of the world and feeding on life.

The entire road was very quiet.

It was partly because they were afraid of waking the children, and partly because of the stench that surged over from time to time. Anyone who cultivated could sense it.

His mother held the children tighter. Lou Ting also said nothing and focused only on driving. Finally, after twenty minutes, he drove the car through the gates of the provincial Criminal Protection compound.

On the steps at the entrance to the Criminal Protection building, Xun Shiming was waiting with others, along with Brigade Captain Pang Sen.

Seeing the car drive in, they tilted their heads and looked it over. After confirming that it really was Chen Yi, they stubbed out cigarettes they had not yet finished smoking and walked over.

Chen Yi got out of the passenger seat and first shook hands with Pang Sen.

The two of them had not seen each other for some time.

After Pang Sen was responsible for connecting Chen Yi with the state, he had been continuously working on the construction of the Demon-Suppression Bureau and would not be able to go to the sect to cultivate for a while.

Logically speaking, a cultivator who had entered Qi Refining would have increased physical ability and strength. Yet when they met again after so many days apart, Pang Sen instead looked a little older. Under the lights, the white hair at his temples was clearly visible.

In contrast, however, were his bright eyes. Chen Yi had seen eyes filled with this kind of hope on many people’s faces in the sect, especially Captain Ye’s. It was a sign of spiritual abundance.

“Brigade Captain Pang, hello.”

“Sect Master Chen, hello.”

As the two exchanged pleasantries, they slowly walked toward the building behind the main building.

Lou Ting had already driven the car to the back first. When Chen Yi went over, he saw Lou Ting and his mother each holding one child and walking toward the building.

Seeing Chen Yi look over, Lou Ting said, “There are dormitories in the building. I’ll send the children upstairs to sleep. It’s so late, Auntie should rest too.”

Chen Yi nodded and thanked him.

Coming to the Demon-Suppression Bureau branch tonight had been a last-minute decision. They had clearly already booked rooms at the villa but could not stay there, and now his mother had to squeeze into a dormitory with the children. This made him feel somewhat guilty.

But this city’s complexity made him afraid to leave his family somewhere he could not look after them. And since he had already encountered this Demon-Suppression Bureau, there was no reason not to come over.

Perhaps the itinerant mission was meant to let him understand the major and minor affairs among the people, lest there be no sense of time in the mountains and a thousand years pass in the world.

What one cultivated in cultivation was one’s true self, not an immortal.

Much less an immortal who was carefree and at ease while the mortal world suffered countless hardships.

On the day Chen Yi handed the sect over to the state, his “Dao” had already taken shape.

He watched Lou Ting bring his family into the building, then withdrew his gaze and looked at the smile on Pang Sen’s face. Chen Yi nodded, indicating that they should continue.

Pang Sen walked ahead and brought him to the warehouse.

This was Chen Yi’s second time coming over. As before, a group of people stood here in formation, waiting.

Afraid that Chen Yi would overthink it, Pang Sen explained, “Night Watchers sleep by day and move by night. This is precisely their working time.”

Chen Yi nodded and saw two familiar team members in the crowd. Both were disciples who had already joined the sect.

When these two team members saw Chen Yi, their eyes also shone, and the excitement on their faces could not be hidden.

The others were curious, and there was also an intense expectation in their gazes as they looked at Chen Yi.

The soldiers who could enter the Night Watchers were all brave and loyal after passing assessments, the batch most fearless in the face of death.

The Night Watchers should have been the special force with the highest casualty rate of this era. The earliest batch of soldiers who had sworn to join the Night Watchers had already been prepared to live with their heads tied to their belts and the fate of sacrificing themselves at any moment.

So now, seeing Chen Yi, who had changed all this, appear before them, the gratitude and excitement in their hearts, as well as their already impatient anticipation to go to the sect for further training, was no less than the excitement of an outstanding student seeing the president of Tsinghua or Peking University.

Pair after pair of burning gazes landed on his face. Under Pang Sen’s smiling gaze, although Chen Yi was somewhat caught off guard, he still had to step forward and say a few words.

“When people unite as one, their strength can cut through metal. Without everyone’s sacrifice and effort, there would be no current safety and stability in Xia, and neither would my children and I have seen the fireworks blooming beneath the moonlit night, or heard the cheers. Thank you all.”

Chen Yi bowed sincerely, then straightened and smiled.

“If you do not mind, then tonight, allow me to become everyone’s temporary teammate and conduct a great cleanup of this city together.”

Next Chapter >