Inside the Tianxia Group's training ground.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
After being pounded mercilessly for over ten seconds, Feng Shayan collapsed face-down on the ground. The towering Treant dissipated and crumbled away.
Looking at Wang Changle, who was huddled in the corner with his head tucked down and arms wrapped around himself, Feng Shayan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What a coward!
"I'm done. Get up. You passed the test."
Feng Shayan spoke resentfully, then withdrew the qi protecting her body.
"Really? I don't believe you. You're trying to trick me into coming out so you can punch me again, right, miss? I'm not coming out. Go ahead and hit me!"
He cowered in the corner, keeping his head firmly covered.
He hadn't even received a notice that the main quest was complete. Anyone could tell he hadn't passed. She was probably still itching to punch him!
"You—you! If I say you passed, then you passed! Just you wait. I'll post an announcement right now!"
Feng Shayan glared at the iron-clad figure curled up in the corner, her chest rising and falling.
For a moment, she was so angry she could hardly speak. He wasn't just a coward; he was a sly one, too.
He'd guessed what she was thinking almost instantly. But with him hiding there, she couldn't land a hit on his head—and she couldn't punch through the wall, either.
Feng Shayan took out her phone and selected and sent the Tianxia Association's announcement. The Paradise notification sounded at once.
[Hunter Main Quest (1): Join a faction and obtain the status of Tianxia Association cadre — Complete, Score: 90. Score added. Follow-up quest unlocked] [Main Quest (2): Luotian Grand Ceremony — Stage 1] Difficulty: LV5 Quest Description: Participate in the Luotian Grand Ceremony tournament and place in at least the top 32 Quest Details: Defeat your opponents. Quest Tip: Triggered because the initial quest score exceeded 90. Placing in the top 32 will unlock Stage 2. Time Limit: 28 days Quest Reward: 2000 Paradise Coins Quest Penalty: Forced execution
[Hunter has joined the Tianxia Association. Faction reputation unlocked] [Current Position: Trainee Cadre. Tianxia Association — Friendly: 0/500. Complete quests for the Tianxia Association or kill Quanxing members to increase reputation. Once reputation is full, your position can be promoted.] [Reputation points can also be used to make purchases within the Tianxia Association or exchange for cultivation techniques.]
After checking the Paradise notifications, he couldn't help sighing. Open-ended quest rewards, huh? This was going to be a bit of a hassle!
The 28-day time limit gave him plenty of room to plan. And there was the matter of the cultivation technique, too. He'd have to think it over carefully. Ideally, he'd find a passive technique.
"Here, I've posted the announcement. You're one of our cadres now. Come on out, Mr. Ode!"
Feng Shayan raised her phone toward Wang Changle and spoke casually.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
"Call of Nature."
Wang Changle lowered his arms at the sound of her voice, but a three-meter-tall Treant suddenly appeared in front of him. Feng Shayan teleported forward at just the right moment, landing all three heavy punches on the Treant.
His mana depleted, his vision swam. He immediately sat down against the wall and took Moonlight Rose from his inventory, drinking it in one gulp.
"Miss, you feel better now, right? If I'd attacked while you were trapped just now, you might not have had the strength to punch me!"
He used the wall to get back to his feet and glanced at the Treant shattered across the ground. Feng Shayan really was powerful.
"Hmph. I was just testing your reflexes. You... can disguise yourself, too?"
Feng Shayan stared in disbelief at the clean-cut young man who emerged from behind the Treant.
"It's just a disguise, miss. I'm a cadre of the Tianxia Association now. May I ask if you have any missions for me?"
As he spoke, Wang Changle peeled off the Human-faced Rose and showed it to Feng Shayan.
Seeing the human-skin mask in the young man's hand, Feng Shayan was genuinely surprised.
This man had exceptional defenses, could "forge," had a good deal of knowledge, and could even manipulate plants.
Now he could disguise himself, too. Since when had the Otherworldly Person community had such a young and capable expert?
He was quick-witted and slippery in a fight. But after earning a cadre position, he hadn't immediately asked about salary or benefits. Instead, he'd asked how to take on missions. He certainly knew how to conduct himself.
"Since you seem to know how to behave, I'll tell you about the benefits of working for the Tianxia Association."
Under Feng Shayan's explanation, he learned even more about the Tianxia Association.
From what she told him, he realized that choosing the Tianxia Association had been the right move.
The Tianxia Association welcomed Otherworldly Persons from all over the country. As long as they weren't serious criminals or Quanxing villains, the Association would take them in.
It valued quality as well as quantity, and its benefits were quite good.
Though it was a civilian organization, it had the recognition of the official authorities and the backing of major capital. It was a powerful faction with a good public image, and its president, Feng, was one of the Ten Elders.
There were two kinds of cadres. One kind was stationed elsewhere to handle the Tianxia Association's affairs involving Otherworldly Persons in different regions, essentially serving as local representatives.
The other kind was stationed at Tianxia Group. They generally defended the company against attacks, like the three people from earlier, and also handled matters around headquarters.
Besides the 500 fixed reputation points they received each month for guarding Tianxia Group, cadres earned varying amounts of reputation for driving off powerful enemies, depending on the enemy.
Finally, they could earn reputation by killing Quanxing members, contributing cultivation techniques, or completing faction missions.
"If you can forge a piece of equipment for me, I can give you a decent amount of contribution points!"
Feng Shayan gazed at Wang Changle with bright eyes. If she had a weapon that suited her, she'd be able to beat Feng Baobao to a pulp the next time they met!
In the current Otherworldly Person community, forgers were extremely rare. Even the Tianxia Association only had one, and he didn't forge things very often!
Now she'd run into someone who seemed to be good at "forging." He was her subordinate, and she happened to need a Magic Tool!
[Side Quest Triggered: Feng Shayan's Battle] Difficulty: LV5 Quest Description: Feng Shayan is eager to defeat Feng Baobao. Quest Details: Custom-make a handy weapon for Feng Shayan. Time Limit: 7 days Quest Penalty: Expulsion from the Tianxia Association. Quest Reward: 1000 reputation points.
After reading the side quest, Wang Changle gave a wry smile. Clearly, this was another test.
She was testing whether he really knew how to forge, since he hadn't shown her his actual forging abilities.
After agreeing to Feng Shayan's request, he immediately chose to become a field cadre. Feng Baobao and Zhang Chulan were about to put Tianxia Group through the wringer.
They were both protagonists of their respective worlds. He couldn't beat them, and he probably couldn't outwit them, either.
It was best to keep his distance, lest he end up with nothing to show for it and a whole lot of trouble besides.
As for forging, he couldn't do it. But if he found people with special abilities and acquired their Characteristic Cards, then added those abilities to an item, he might still be able to complete the quest!
To finish Feng Shayan's quest, he'd need to kill someone—and they'd have to be someone with a special ability.
In the world of The Outcast, Quanxing Otherworldly Persons were the best targets.
Most Quanxing members in this world weren't bound by the law or accepted by the public. So he could kill them without too much trouble.
Just then, a message came in from Feng Shayan.
"I heard you're looking for Quanxing members! You could check out this place."
He opened WeChat. The picture showed a factory, and the address was in a small town.
"Thanks!"
"Driver, take me to this place first."
On the West Outer Ring Road, Wang Changle was searching the Tianxia Association's database for information on Quanxing members.
Suddenly, the Paradise notification sounded.
[Violator No. 534178, a contractor, has been detected. Automatic pursuit initiated. Target is 900 meters away.] [Target is straight ahead of you, 800... 600... 500 meters away.]
Wang Changle immediately spotted a yellow Bumblebee speeding toward him. The notification sounded closer and closer.
But the Bumblebee drove past him. Just as he was about to activate a skill, the notification changed.
[Target is 150 meters behind you... 800 meters... 990 meters away.]
He looked around but saw no vehicles. The notification kept reporting greater distances. Wang Changle suddenly realized something.
"Driver, is there another road underneath us?"
"Yep, there's an underground tunnel down there. It leads to the highway. You getting on the highway? You'll have to take a detour."
"No, uh, I wanted to ask where that highway goes."
"The Jingshan Expressway, I reckon. Lots of places you can get to from there, young man."
Knowing he wouldn't catch up, he immediately gave up on asking more questions and told the driver to keep going to the town as planned.
But if the other party was roaming around the country, his chances of catching them were next to nothing.
All the way there, he thought about how to find Quanxing members quickly—and how to kill the Violator.
Several hours later, the car stopped at the entrance to a small town steeped in industry.
Wang Changle wandered through the town. It was a hub of industry, and the streets were full of construction workers and factory employees.
As he walked, he stopped outside a barbecue stall called Chunlin Barbecue. He'd spotted a familiar figure there—Liao Tietou!
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