The third sequence ability! Domain

After hearing the gentle voice coming from the conference room, Su Yang walked inside.

The moment he heard its distinctive tone, Su Yang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

And when Su Yang saw the owner of the voice, that sense of familiarity grew even stronger.

What a refined man!

This man in a suit and polished shoes is the head of our City Education Department? I wonder why he wants to see me.

Judging by his weathered temples, he must have plenty of stories...

If I had an elder like him, I could probably learn a lot from him, couldn't I?

Su Yang imagined the director's earlier years, letting his thoughts run wild.

But then, a sharp pain suddenly struck Su Yang's heart!

The sudden pain brought Su Yang to his senses in an instant, immediately dispelling those inexplicable thoughts.

What was going on? How could I have taken a liking to someone I'd only just met and hadn't even spoken to?

When Su Yang looked at the man again, the inexplicable fondness he had just felt was completely gone.

What was that pain just now? Had I imagined it?

Why did it feel a little like the pain caused by the murmuring in the dream?

Su Yang was at a loss for a moment. Ever since he had stepped into the conference room, his thoughts seemed to have slowed down.

But the principal of Muyang No. 2 Middle School, who stood nearby, knew nothing of this. Seeing Su Yang enter the conference room, his smile grew even wider. He gestured toward Su Yang as he addressed the director.

"Director, this is Su Yang, the one I've been praising to you."

After introducing Su Yang to the powerful director, the principal turned and spoke to Su Yang in a tone of glowing praise.

"Su Yang, this is the director of our city's Education Bureau. He is a very wise leader, and he has guided education in our city..."

The principal's voice was full of admiration for the director.

After listening carefully to the principal's flattery, Su Yang nodded and offered the middle-aged man before him a simple greeting.

"Hello, Director. I'm Su Yang."

The director smiled softly and waved to the principal and Teacher Zhao, who stood silently by the door, motioning for them both to leave the conference room.

The principal and Teacher Zhao immediately understood what the director meant, and humble smiles appeared on their faces.

"Then please, have a good talk with Su Yang! We won't disturb you!"

With that, the two left the room.

Only Su Yang and the director remained in the spacious conference room.

The director gazed quietly at Su Yang, and Su Yang met his gaze without fear, neither humble nor arrogant.

After several seconds, the director laughed, the sound echoing through the conference room.

What he said next left Su Yang dumbfounded.

"Hello, young Sword-Bearer!"

"Judging by your expression, it seems you haven't guessed who I am yet."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhao Shengshen, a fifth-rank Sword Guardian of the Soul-Reaping Bureau!"

The director then put away his smile.

His expression turned solemn, and he placed his left hand over the right side of his chest, speaking in an extremely respectful and devout tone.

"Radiance of the Divine Guardian, walking the world! My mission is to safeguard the smiles of its people!"

The words "Soul-Reaping Bureau" struck Su Yang's chest like a sledgehammer.

Su Yang's breath caught!

He's from the Soul-Reaping Bureau!

The director is actually from the Soul-Reaping Bureau!!

He had considered that someone from the Soul-Reaping Bureau might come looking for him during this time, but Su Yang had never expected it to happen this way!

In an instant, Su Yang gained a clearer understanding of the Soul-Reaping Bureau. He hadn't expected them to have people even in the Education Bureau!

And this so-called "Sword-Guardian of the Soul-Reaping Bureau" was even the director of the Education Bureau.

Su Yang thought about how the director attended all kinds of important meetings during the day.

Yet at night, he lived in this city under another identity, and Su Yang felt an indescribable sense of unreality.

"What's wrong? Finding it a little hard to accept because I'm the director of the Education Bureau?"

"Some of the bureau's operations require cooperation from the relevant departments, so the bureau chief sent me to the Education Bureau."

"I just didn't expect that, after more than ten years... I'd actually end up becoming the director. Heh heh heh..."

Zhao Shengshen sat back down gently on the sofa in the center of the conference room. He stretched his shoulders a little, his expression revealing a hint of contentment.

"Take right now, for example."

"You're a student, so I'm the only Sword-Guardian in the bureau who can approach you under a suitable pretext, since I'm the director."

As Su Yang listened to the director introduce himself, the shock in his heart slowly faded.

Somehow, that tone was as gentle as a mother stroking a crying infant in swaddling clothes.

Feelings of peace and tranquility slowly filled Su Yang's mind, and he felt calmer than ever before.

This is...

Once again clearly sensing the change in his state of mind, Su Yang frowned and looked at Zhao Shengshen with eyes full of confusion.

He gathered his thoughts and spoke calmly.

"I am a little shocked. I didn't expect the famous director to have another identity like this."

"But Director, your voice seems a little... special? I've felt it ever since I came in."

Zhao Shengshen raised an eyebrow, seeming somewhat surprised by Su Yang's question.

"You're actually that sensitive to sequence abilities? I only used my sequence ability twice, and you could already sense it?"

"Sequence ability? What's that?"

Every sentence Zhao Shengshen spoke contained terms Su Yang didn't understand, leaving him utterly bewildered, but also stirring his curiosity.

Zhao Shengshen pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses and said with a smile,

"That's why I came today."

"Su Yang, please allow me to ask you a question first. If you had to score how much you trust me, what score would you give?"

A smile played on Zhao Shengshen's lips, and there was a hint of amusement in his gaze as he looked at Su Yang.

Trust?

Su Yang frowned. Why was he suddenly asking about that?

Although he didn't know why the director had asked, Su Yang still followed his request and gave the question careful thought.

"To tell you the truth, Director, even though this is our first meeting, I don't know why, but I trust you quite a lot."

"If I had to give a score, it would probably be around seventy... no, wait!"

As he spoke, a chill ran down Su Yang's back.

Even Su Yang himself hadn't noticed! Without realizing it, he had developed a tremendous amount of trust in Zhao Shengshen!

This wasn't normal!

Ever since Su Yang's parents had disappeared, his wariness of the outside world had grown exponentially!

He wouldn't place so much trust in a stranger he had only met once!

Thinking back to the strange things he had noticed from the moment he entered the conference room, Su Yang felt more and more that something was wrong!

Could this... be the sequence ability Zhao Shengshen mentioned?

"Su Yang, I've looked into what you've been through these past few years. Your guard against a stranger shouldn't have dissolved so unnoticed..."

"You believe Gai Fengyan because of the words your parents left behind. That makes sense! But why would you believe me?"

"Just because I say I'm from the Soul-Capturing Bureau, does that make it true? What if I'm an enemy of your parents? Your parents have plenty of enemies..."

My parents have plenty of enemies?

Looking at the faint smile playing on Zhao Shengshen's lips, Su Yang now felt it was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, exceedingly dangerous!

Seeing how tense Su Yang was, Zhao Shengshen got up, walked over to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

"This is our first meeting. Consider this a lesson I'm giving you on your parents' behalf."

Immediately afterward, Zhao Shengshen took a piece of black jade from his suit pocket.

Su Yang glanced at it. The words "Sword-Guardian of the Soul-Reaping Bureau, Zhao Shengshen" were carved on it in regular script.

Upon seeing those words, Su Yang felt relieved.

Zhao Shengshen placed the black jade, the symbol of his identity, on the table in front of Su Yang and continued speaking close to his ear.

"The reason you let your guard down around me is my sequence ability!"

"The third sequence ability, Domain!"