The Employer

The fourth day.

If nothing unexpected happened, this would be the last day this group worked.

Everyone was in a poor mood because they were about to lose a high-paying job.

However, before the day's work had even begun, Supervisor Xu Ming came to notify them at around six in the evening.

"The boss has awakened from the Cultivation Pod. Tonight's guiding work has been canceled, but the boss has a new task for you. If you're not in a hurry to leave, you can come with me to the top floor now." Xu Ming's words left everyone somewhat astonished.

"Tonight's work is canceled, but what about the money? Do we have to return it?" Zhang Gao immediately asked.

Supervisor Xu Ming said, "There's no need to return it. That's the boss's compensation for you. Just keep it."

"That's good." Zhang Gao then looked at the others. "Everyone, do you want to go take a look? Or should we leave now?"

"Let's go take a look. The employer is very generous, and if there's a new task, the offer definitely won't be low." After Lu Jue finished speaking, he asked, "Li Yi, what about you? Are you going back, or coming along to take a look?"

Li Yi thought for a moment. "The money I made this time didn't reach my expectations. It's rare to encounter such a good employer, so of course I'm going to take a look. If it suits me, I'd like to stay and work. If it doesn't, it won't be too late to leave."

"That's right. I think the same." Lu Jue nodded.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Zhao Xiaoxiao was getting impatient.

Thus, driven by curiosity, everyone followed Supervisor Xu Ming to the top floor once again.

"There are so many people."

When they arrived, they discovered a large crowd gathered there. At a glance, there were at least thirty practitioners.

"Looks like all four groups of guides hired this time are here. Tsk tsk, no wonder there are so many people." Zhang Gao lowered his voice.

"Not just guides. There are also some unfamiliar bodyguards, and their strength doesn't seem ordinary."

Li Yi looked around and noticed several more bodyguards in black suits nearby. Although they were all wearing sunglasses, they still couldn't conceal the fluorescent glimmer in their eyes.

Clearly, these bodyguards were practitioners who had awakened their Spirit Medium.

"I'm very curious about the employer's identity. What kind of person can casually hire so many practitioners, and even possess cultivation resources of such a high caliber?" Lu Jue began searching, trying to find that extraordinary person.

However, after looking around, he found no one who fit the description.

"The boss went to take a bath just now. Please wait a moment, everyone." Supervisor Xu Ming explained the situation to the crowd.

No one complained. They waited with great patience.

They waited for more than ten minutes.

With a ding, a special elevator arrived at the top floor.

At that moment, three sets of footsteps sounded.

They're here.

Everyone seemed to have the same feeling and turned toward the source of the sound in unison.

The person leading them was a young man who looked to be only about twenty-four. He was tall and straight, with swordlike brows and bright eyes, handsome yet resolute. Walking over with his hands behind his back, he glanced around, and streaks of white rainbow seemed to flash around him, making even the room brighten by several shades. He possessed an inviolable majesty.

What was more, the man wore a retro-style long robe, his black hair falling over his shoulders. He looked like a swordsman who had stepped out of a martial-arts world.

Behind him were two women. One wore a specially made bodysuit and moved with vigorous steps. Her slit pupils glimmered blue-green, and her eyes were unlike an ordinary person's. The other had a voluptuous figure and wore professional attire. She was a mature, alluring female secretary. Although she showed none of a practitioner's abnormalities, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

With just one glance.

Everyone gained the same impression: that man was the natural protagonist, while they were merely extras and supporting cast, fundamentally unable to compare with him.

"I understand now why, whenever a protagonist appears in a novel, everyone can tell at a glance that he's extraordinary. If I had that bearing and those looks, I'd be the center of attention wherever I went." Zhang Gao's envious eyes seemed to glow green.

"He's terrifying. His cultivation realm has reached an extremely high level. Look, white light is flashing around him. In ancient times, this would have been a manifestation of lightning emerging from empty space and light appearing in a sealed room. Explained through modern science, his body has evolved to such a degree that the individual is simply too powerful and has already begun to possess the rudiments of an energy field. If he continues evolving, he'll be able to form an energy field himself, rivaling a strange object."

Lu Jue drew a deep breath, utterly shocked.

"With cultivation resources of this caliber, it's only natural that they could nurture such a powerful practitioner. Of course, his talent must be extraordinary as well." Li Yi fell silent.

Although he had been mentally prepared, actually seeing this employer still left him astonished.

However, Li Yi firmly believed that, with a strange object in his possession, he could eventually reach such a cultivation realm as well.

But for now, he stood among the crowd like a lackey, utterly inconspicuous.

"Sometimes, the gap between people is greater than the gap between people and dogs." A practitioner nearby sighed in a low voice, not even worried that someone might hear him.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone. I'm Yang Yilong. I've gathered you all here this time for only two matters. First, I want to thank you for your efforts during this period. Because of you, my meditative cultivation this time was able to conclude successfully. Although you were all hired, that isn't how I see it. Your participation in the guiding work depended in no small part on introductions from some of my friends and relatives. The fact that they introduced you means they trust you, and the people my relatives and friends trust are people I, Yang Yilong, can trust as well. That is why I'm thanking you for your assistance."

Yang Yilong stopped and slowly began to speak.

His voice was clear. Though not loud, it echoed throughout the entire floor.

The crowd fell silent. They were all being paid; what was there to thank them for? It was nothing more than a polite remark.

Yang Yilong continued, "Second, my cultivation this time wasn't simply for the sake of improving my realm. Rather, it was because an extraordinary Extraordinary Creature appeared in the Danger Zone of Tianchang City. I've fought that thing before and nearly got myself killed. That's why I devoted myself to cultivation, all for the sake of fighting it again today."

"Before the operation, however, I invited ten friends who have awakened their Spirit Medium to serve as sentries. Each Spirit Medium practitioner needs two people who haven't awakened their Spirit Medium to act as assistants. Compared to hiring people indiscriminately from outside, those introduced by my relatives and friends are more trustworthy. Therefore, I intend to recruit twenty friends to participate in this mission."

"Of course, I won't have everyone risk their lives for nothing. Each person who's willing to participate will receive eight hundred thousand as an effort fee. If you encounter any danger along the way, I, Yang Yilong, will provide additional compensation as well. I absolutely won't let anyone suffer a loss."

As soon as he said this, many people were immediately tempted.

They could earn eight hundred thousand just by going on a trip. That was truly a high price.

Although they would be entering a Danger Zone, with Yang Yilong leading the team, they would only be acting as attendants. They wouldn't need to face any danger at all. It could be said that this eight hundred thousand was practically free money.

"I'm going." A practitioner immediately raised his hand and shouted.

"I'm going too. Count me in." Someone else spoke up.

Yang Yilong smiled faintly. "Those willing to participate can register with Xu Ming. Those unwilling can leave on their own. It's entirely up to you."

"Li Yi, what do you think? Are you participating or not?" Zhang Gao asked in a low voice. "I'm very tempted, though. Anyone can see that this money is practically free for the taking. With our level of strength, we can't provide any help at all. We're just going through the motions."

"The Danger Zone isn't that simple."

Lu Jue said, "The danger there doesn't come only from Extraordinary Creatures. There are also terrifying Ghosts/Monsters, as well as strange and deadly dangers beyond comprehension. Why does Yang Yilong need people like us, who haven't awakened their Spirit Medium, to act as assistants? It's because people who have awakened their Spirit Medium can see many unclean things."

"Our eyes are relatively 'blind.' To a certain extent, that actually makes us safer than people who have awakened their Spirit Medium. That's why this strange configuration of one Spirit Medium practitioner and two practitioners exists."

"So if we don't encounter danger, so be it. But the moment we do, our chances of dying will be very high."

Zhao Xiaoxiao said at this moment, "Li Yi, I don't recommend that you go. You can earn two or three hundred thousand in a day. It isn't worth risking your life. If you're short of money, I can introduce you to another job."

Li Yi thought for a moment before saying, "I've been poor for too long. Although I earned some money this time, opportunities like this don't come around whenever you want them to. I plan to make the trip. If I save up more money, I won't need to waste time working later and can focus on cultivation."

In truth, he felt a sense of urgency. If he didn't seize every opportunity to grow and advance, how would he deal with Old Crow's group in the future? Besides, Boss Yang was wealthy and lavish with his spending. If he missed this chance, where would he find another job with such a high income? Moreover, Yang Yilong's strength was terrifying. He had already entered and exited the Danger Zone before, and this time he had come prepared. Li Yi was merely tagging along.

If I'm afraid of this and dare not face that, why not just hand over the strange object and lie flat?

"If you encounter danger, you might not make it back," Zhao Xiaoxiao reminded him kindly.

Li Yi smiled. "If I really encounter some deadly danger, I'll run immediately. If I can't even run away, then I can only accept that I'm unlucky."

"All right. Since you've put it that way, I won't try to persuade you anymore. I'm not planning to go to the Danger Zone. I'd rather go back and work hard on my cultivation."

Zhao Xiaoxiao shook her head. She wasn't someone willing to take risks.

"I'm not planning to go either. Although the chances of returning are high, I don't like gambling, and my luck has always been poor." Lu Jue shrugged, indicating that he was giving up.

Zhang Gao said, "Li Yi, we'll go together."

He had a strong desire for money and wanted to earn more.

"All right." Li Yi nodded. "Let's go register with Xu Ming."

The two immediately took action.

Lu Jue turned to leave. "Zhao Xiaoxiao, let's go back to the room and pack our things."

"All right."

Zhao Xiaoxiao looked at Li Yi for a long while before finally withdrawing her gaze. She drew a deep breath, lingered no longer, and left at once.

Soon.

The twenty slots for practitioners participating in the operation were filled.

At the same time, Yang Yilong decided that they would set out for the Danger Zone exactly six hours later, at midnight.

"An operation in the middle of the night?" Li Yi found the timing somewhat strange.

However, his body had evolved by now, and his eyes could see in the dark, so operating at night wouldn't affect him.