Night Watchers and the Harsh Reality

Cannibalism? Blood Nourishing food?

Dongfang Yueming's eyes turned cold.

Although he had some suspicions before, hearing the truth about how humans were raised and slaughtered like livestock still sent a chill down his spine.

What about the official response?

He looked at Zhan Qiushui, who was leaning against the ruins, "Are we just going to stand by and watch these monsters run rampant in the city and schools?"

Upon hearing this, Zhan Qiushui fell silent.

A deep sense of helplessness and bitterness flashed in her originally clear and resolute eyes.

Do you think the authorities don't want to get involved?

She chuckled self-deprecatingly, "The authorities... aren't a monolithic entity."

"It is a behemoth jointly constructed by countless powerful families, conglomerates, military entities, Martial Dao Association... and even some ancient schools of thought."

"A single move can have far-reaching consequences. Any comprehensive decision to eradicate ' Variants ' will touch upon the core interests of countless people, not to mention..."

She gritted her teeth. "Some factions have long been infiltrated by Variants and riddled with holes! Like the Xiahou Family... who knows how many monsters in human skin are still among their leaders?"

Dongfang Yueming nodded.

This is a harsh reality. Faced with absolute interests and power, humanity's bottom line is often incredibly fragile.

And what about you?

Dongfang Yueming looked at this senior student who was determined to uncover the truth, and felt a little curious.

"Since you know the waters are so deep, why did you still get involved? For some so-called justice?"

Zhan Qiushui took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.

Looking at the masked man before her, who had saved her life and whose strength was unfathomable, she decided to confess.

"Besides being a disciplinary committee member at Jinling Martial University..."

"I have another identity."

She took out a black metal badge engraved with a raven from her bosom and handed it to Dongfang Yueming.

"Great Xia... Night Watchers."

"The Night Watchers?"

"Yes." Zhan Qiushui's expression turned solemn. "This is an assassination and intelligence organization that operates outside the official channels, directly under the highest levels, specifically to combat those 'inhuman monsters' hidden within human society."

"Our goal is to dig out and eliminate these malignant tumors that attempt to undermine humanity from within!"

"In addition, we are also responsible for monitoring... the ' Boundary '."

"Boundary?"

Dongfang Yueming keenly grasped this word.

He followed Zhan Qiushui's gaze and looked at the horizon in the far distance of this abandoned city.

In the original owner's memory, that place was an absolute forbidden zone.

But at this moment, in Dongfang Yueming's perception, which far surpassed that of ordinary people, he vaguely saw a huge barrier with a faint blue halo, which divided the entire visible world in two, completely isolating the area where humans lived from the unknown terror outside.

"What exactly is that?" he asked.

Zhan Qiushui shook her head.

"I don't know either."

"I'm just a junior investigator, I don't have enough authority. All I know is that outside that light membrane, there exists something a hundred or a thousand times more terrifying than the Variants."

Every now and then, something terrible tries to cross the ' Boundary ' and descend upon our world.

"Our duty Night Watchers is to eliminate them before they cause irreparable harm."

Dongfang Yueming withdrew his gaze.

This world seems to be more complex and deeper than he imagined.

Not only are there cannibalistic alien Variants inside, but there are also unknown terrors outside.

Zhan Qiushui looked at Dongfang Yueming, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Who exactly are you?

"So young, yet he's mastered Earth-Level Profound Truth! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that a Blood Nourishing Realm martial artist could instantly kill Blood Refining Seventh Stage Variants with a single strike!"

"If it hadn't suddenly transformed and its attributes had surged dramatically, I wouldn't have been defeated so quickly, nor would I have suffered such severe injuries..."

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.

If this person could join the Night Watchers... he would definitely be the sharpest blade!

However.

Faced with Zhan Qiushui's offer of recruitment, Dongfang Yueming shrugged noncommittally.

He only cares about one very practical issue.

"Um... I have a question for you."

Dongfang Yueming rubbed his fingers together, his tone tinged with anticipation.

"Do you Night Watchers receive a reward for killing these Variants? Or, can you exchange the monster's corpse for money?"

"Ah?"

Zhan Qiushui was stunned. The change in tone was too sudden, and she was momentarily caught off guard.

"Money?"

"That's right!" Dongfang Yueming said matter-of-factly, "We can't expect people to work for free, can we? How much do we get paid for killing one? Are the corpses sold by weight or by the head?"

Zhan Qiushui's lips twitched slightly.

"This... seems to be..."

"The Great Xia Night Watchers operate in secret, and all their funds are used for building an intelligence network. As for kill rewards... there are no specific regulations."

"Furthermore, the corpses of the Variants are extremely contaminated, and the authorities strictly prohibit private trade. Anyone found doing so will be treated as an accomplice to the Variants..."

"Depend on!"

Dongfang Yueming's heart instantly turned cold.

"After all that, it turns out it's just a thankless, unpaid job!"

Muttering to himself, he skillfully walked to Xiahou Jing's mangled corpse and began... to rummage through it.

Zhan Qiushui was dumbfounded.

How did that aloof and mysterious master, who was just a moment ago like a peerless swordsman, suddenly become a money-grubber?

"Found it."

A moment later, Dongfang Yueming pulled out a blood-stained wallet and an undamaged cell phone from a pile of shredded flesh.

He opened his wallet.

"Ten thousand yuan in cash? You poor bastard."

He unceremoniously stuffed the cash into his pocket, then his gaze fell on a photograph in the inner pocket of his wallet.

Those are... his files and photos!

There was even a big red X drawn on it!

"As expected, this guy came for me."

Dongfang Yueming's eyes were slightly cold.

"It seems I'm already on the Xiahou Family's 'list of pets'."

He glanced at the phone again, thought for a moment, and then threw it back.

"These days, all your money is on your phone; even murder and robbery are inconvenient."

"This phone definitely has the Xiahou Family's location tracking and encryption. Carrying it around is a hot potato; let's leave it to the professionals to deal with."

In the shadows of the ruins, the wind carried a nauseating stench of blood.

Zhan Qiushui endured the excruciating pain in her chest as she watched the masked youth stuff ten thousand yuan stained with blood into his pocket and then casually toss away his phone.

Her feelings were extremely complicated.

On one hand, the terrifying strength and Earth-Level Profound Truth displayed by the other party gave her great hope in fighting against the Variants; on the other hand, the other party's mercenary and even somewhat cold-blooded way of doing things made her feel very unfamiliar.

"That..."

She took a deep breath and decided to test the waters anyway.

"Although I don't know who you are, the Xiahou Family's foundation is far more than just a Blood Refining Realm. They might even be connected to higher-level Variants forces."

Zhan Qiushui stared intently at Dongfang Yueming.

"If you'd like to join our Great Xia Night Watchers..."

"With your talent, the organization will definitely do everything it can to nurture you!"

This was the best way she could think of to protect this genius.

However.

Dongfang Yueming didn't even turn her head; she simply tore the photo marked with a red cross into pieces.

"Join you?"

He turned around, his deep gaze piercing through the veil and landing on Zhan Qiushui's pale yet still beautiful face.

"I saved your life, didn't I?"

Zhan Qiushui was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously. "Yes..."

"Since it's a life-saving favor, there should be a tangible return."

Dongfang Yueming stretched out a finger and waved it in mid-air, speaking with a self-righteous tone.

"I'm a very fair person. I don't talk about lofty principles; I only talk about transactions."

"What do you mean?" Zhan Qiushui was somewhat taken aback. How come this was completely different from the script she had envisioned?

"It's very simple."

Dongfang Yueming pointed at her, "Read me all the cultivation techniques and blood skills you know."