In the southern district of Seventh Satellite City, beneath an elevated bridge, there was a bustling night market.
At the entrance, several storefronts were squeezed together. On the left was a funeral supply shop called Good Come Again, and on the right was Old Soldier Barbecue, a century-old business.
The narrowest storefront in the middle belonged to Yue's Cultivation Firm.
So Yue Wen wasn't lying when he said he could provide the whole package. After all, his neighbor handled funerals.
He had connections.
Manager Chen hadn't been seriously injured. He'd only been frightened and taken a tumble when he landed. The doctor said he just needed to rest at home for a few days. After seeing Manager Chen home, Yue Wen returned to his firm.
As soon as he opened the door, a deliciously pungent smell hit him.
Inside was a cramped space with a creased leather sofa, a cluttered coffee table, and a computer desk piled with odds and ends. This was the reception area of Yue's Cultivation Firm.
A staircase led upstairs, and there were two other doors on the ground floor: one to the bathroom, the other to a storage room.
Yue Wen had only recently opened the firm. He was its sole proprietor and employee, and with little business and low rates, he couldn't afford to rent a larger storefront.
At that moment, a woman in a black skirt suit was sitting on the sofa. She looked to be in her thirties, with loose black hair, fair, smooth skin, and striking, elegant features. Tall and leaning slightly to one side, she showed off a curvy waist and hips, along with long, shapely legs.
She had the kind of aura that made people online call her "Mommy."
The elegant woman was holding a tray and wolfing down its contents. There were several skewers of lamb, two skewers of lamb kidney, and a few cloves of garlic.
The food was also the source of the smell in the room.
"True Person Guang?" Yue Wen was slightly surprised to see the unexpected visitor. "What brings you here?"
She wasn't an ordinary person.
True Person Guang was the deputy director of the Supervision Bureau in Seventh Satellite City and a highly influential figure in City Seven. Supposedly, she came from a top-tier Immortal Gate, and her cultivation was unfathomably deep.
She spent most of her time in seclusion, with her clones handling affairs outside. The woman in front of him was probably one of them.
"Mm." True Person Guang waved a hand without looking up. She finished the skewers on the tray, wiped her mouth, then resumed her cool, aloof expression and looked at Yue Wen. "I came to discuss something with you."
"Have something to drink." Yue Wen fished a bottle of yogurt out of a drawer and handed it to her, then asked with a smile, "Did my business license application go through?"
True Person Guang picked up the yogurt and glanced at it. The label said it was flavored with phlox, so she silently set it aside. Then she shook her head. "No. Your application wasn't approved."
"Why?" Yue Wen asked hurriedly.
Without a business license, his firm was operating illegally. Technically, he'd just taken an unauthorized job exorcising an evil spirit.
"You clearly didn't read the Supervision Bureau's regulations carefully. Private organizations need to have at least two cultivators on site to handle supernatural incidents," True Person Guang replied. "We can't stop you from taking private jobs on your own time. But if you want to open an official firm, you have to follow the rules."
"Oh." Yue Wen slapped his forehead, looking troubled.
If that was the case, he'd have to hire at least one assistant.
This wasn't a job he could just hand to some random college kid. Any cultivator would cost a pretty penny to employ for even a month.
His already struggling firm was about to be in even worse shape.
"But that's not why I came to see you today," True Person Guang continued. "I have something else to talk about."
"Oh?" Yue Wen asked. "What is it?"
"It's about your parents," True Person Guang said.
At her words, Yue Wen sat up a little straighter, his expression turning more serious.
"You'd just finished the college entrance exam three years ago. Weren't you in the province's top five?" True Person Guang asked.
"There were a lot of things going on at home then. I really did perform below my usual level," Yue Wen said.
True Person Guang fell silent for a moment, then ignored his humblebrag. "Your family was traveling when a Spatial Rift opened and evil spirits descended. You were seriously injured in the sudden incident and fell into a coma for half a year. Both your parents went missing. Is that right?"
"Yes." Yue Wen nodded as she recounted what had happened to him.
True Person Guang suddenly asked, "Do you want to find them?"
"Of course I do. It's just..." Yue Wen said without hesitation.
He trailed off.
"Actually, the Supervision Bureau has some information about your parents," True Person Guang said. "That incident probably wasn't just a simple Spatial Rift. It may have been connected to the research your father had been working on."
"What was it?" Yue Wen's expression finally turned serious.
"I can't tell you more. It involves classified intelligence. Unless..." True Person Guang paused, then finally stated her purpose. "You join the Supervision Bureau."
"Me?" Yue Wen stared at her. "Join the Supervision Bureau?"
He hadn't expected her visit to be a recruitment pitch.
"That's right." True Person Guang glanced around. "You'll need to join the Bureau and raise your rank before you can access classified files. I can't promise you'll find your parents after reading them, but learning more might give you a better chance. Besides, you're already handling supernatural incidents. You might as well join us instead of working alone."
Yue Wen smiled without committing. "Are the benefits good?"
"Permanent government position, six types of social insurance and two housing funds," True Person Guang replied.
"That's definitely tempting." Yue Wen gave her an apologetic smile. "But I'm used to doing as I please, so I may not be suited to the Supervision Bureau. I'm sorry you came all this way, True Person Guang, only for me to turn you down."
"If this were any other time, I wouldn't have come to you," True Person Guang said, looking at him. "But the Youth Cultivator Convention is less than a year away, and Jiang City hasn't produced any promising contenders this time around. The higher-ups have given us a firm assignment: actively recruit young cultivation talents."
"Talents?" Yue Wen scratched his head and smiled. "I wouldn't go that far."
The Youth Cultivator Convention, also known as the Ascending Dragon Tournament, was a gathering held once every four years. Any cultivator under twenty-five could take part. Its purpose was to identify the Human Race's young cultivation prodigies and give them special training. Anyone who performed well at the convention could become famous overnight and win countless admirers.
But it had always been a stage for true prodigies.
He was just an unaffiliated cultivator hoping to run a small firm. He'd never dreamed of making a name for himself at the Youth Cultivator Convention.
"You reached your current level in just two and a half years. As an unaffiliated cultivator, you absolutely qualify as a prodigy," True Person Guang said, her eyes gleaming. "But resources and connections matter enormously in cultivation. An unaffiliated cultivator's prospects are ultimately limited. With the Supervision Bureau's support, I'm sure you could make far more of your talent."
"If I receive support from the Supervision Bureau, doesn't that mean I'll have to work for it?" Yue Wen smiled as he turned her down again. "I know about your casualty rate, too. I'd rather run my own firm."
"Cultivation is about defying heaven. What path isn't dangerous?" True Person Guang said, sounding a little disappointed. Still, she added, "Never mind. If you change your mind, you can come find me."
Yue Wen firmly refused, and she didn't press him further. After speaking, her figure went still for a moment, then burst into a cloud of blue smoke and vanished.
All that remained was a long black hair with a faint fragrance.
"Phew—"
Only after True Person Guang had been gone for a while did Yue Wen let out a long breath and relax.
Her cultivation far surpassed his. Even as a mere clone, the pressure she casually emanated was hard for him to withstand.
Especially since he'd lied during their conversation.
The reason he refused to join the Supervision Bureau wasn't that he was afraid of danger.
The Supernatural Power Administration Bureau was an official organization established after the Spiritual Energy Calamity. It was responsible for managing cultivators and handling supernatural incidents.
In theory, joining would give him a stable source of support. He'd have to work for the Bureau, of course, but he'd also receive plenty of help. As True Person Guang had said, he'd have far better prospects than an unaffiliated cultivator.
And she had been entirely sincere today. She wanted to recruit young cultivators for the Youth Cultivator Convention, and anyone who joined was certain to receive the best training, with resources to match.
It was an opportunity many people could only dream of.
But Yue Wen couldn't join.
There were too many things he couldn't let anyone find out.
For instance, he'd only pretended to be shocked just now. He already knew that his parents' disappearance was tied to certain secrets.
For instance, during the half a year he'd been unconscious, Yue Wen hadn't been completely unaware.
He'd seen a dragon.
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