In the South District of the Seventh Satellite City, beneath an elevated overpass, there was a bustling night market street.
Several storefronts were packed together at the entrance. On the left was a funeral supplies shop called "Hao Zailai," while on the right was the century-old heritage shop "Lao Bing Barbecue."
The narrowest storefront, right in the middle, was "Yue's Cultivation Firm."
So when Yue Wen said he could provide one-stop service, it wasn't a lie—after all, his neighbor was in the funeral business.
He had connections.
However, Manager Chen's injuries weren't severe—just a bit of shock, plus a fall when he hit the ground. The doctor told him to go home and rest for a few days. After sending Manager Chen home, Yue Wen returned to the firm as well.
Pulling open the door, he was hit by a scent that was simultaneously fragrant and pungent.
Inside was a rather cramped space. A wrinkled leather sofa, a messy coffee table, and a computer desk cluttered with all sorts of items—this was the reception room of Yue's Cultivation Firm.
A stairway led upstairs. On the first floor, there were two other doors: one for the restroom and one for the storage room.
Yue Wen had only opened this firm recently. From proprietor to clerk, he was the only employee. With few cases and low fees, he naturally couldn't afford a large storefront.
At this moment, seated on the sofa inside was a woman in a black skirt suit. She appeared to be around thirty, with loose black hair, fair and delicate skin, and bright, beautiful features. She was tall and leaned slightly to one side, revealing the pronounced curves of her waist and hips, her legs round and slender.
She exuded the kind of mature charm that would have countless people online calling her "Mommy."
Right now, this elegant woman was holding a tray and devouring food with her head down. On the plate were a few lamb skewers, two lamb kidneys, and several cloves of garlic.
These were also the source of the room's aroma.
"Zhiguang Zhenren?" Yue Wen was slightly surprised to see this uninvited figure. "What wind has blown you my way?"
This was no ordinary person.
Zhiguang Zhenren was the deputy director of the Seventh Satellite City Supernatural Management Bureau. In Seventh City, her status was extraordinarily high. Rumor had it she came from a top-tier immortal sect, her cultivation unfathomable.
She spent most of her time in seclusion, sending avatars to walk the outside world. The one before him now should also be an avatar.
"Mhm." Zhiguang Zhenren waved her hand without looking up. Only after finishing all the skewers on the tray did she wipe her mouth and resume a cold, aloof expression. She looked at Yue Wen and said, "I came here today to talk to you about something."
"Have a drink." Yue Wen fished a bottle of yogurt from a drawer and handed it over, smiling as he asked, "Did my business license application come through?"
Zhiguang Zhenren picked up the yogurt and glanced at it. Seeing the label reading "Photinia Flower Flavor," she silently placed it aside, then shook her head. "No, your business license wasn't approved."
"Why?" Yue Wen asked hurriedly.
Without a business license, his firm was illegal. Theoretically, the job he had just taken counted as illegal freelance work—exorcising evil spirits without a license.
"You clearly didn't read the Bureau's regulations carefully," Zhiguang Zhenren replied. "For a private agency to handle evil spirit incidents, there must be at least two cultivators present."
"We can't control your private freelance work. But since you want to formally open a firm, you naturally have to follow the rules."
"Aiya." Yue Wen slapped his forehead, his head beginning to hurt.
If that were the case, he would need to hire at least one assistant.
This wasn't a position you could fill by grabbing some random overworked college graduate. Any cultivator at all wouldn't come cheap for a monthly hire.
The already impoverished firm would be hit with yet another disaster.
"But I didn't come here today for this. I have something else to discuss," Zhiguang Zhenren shifted topics.
"Oh?" Yue Wen asked. "What is it?"
Zhiguang Zhenren said, "It has to do with your parents."
Hearing this, Yue Wen immediately sat up a little straighter, his expression turning more serious.
"You had just finished the college entrance exams three years ago, and I believe you ranked in the top five in the province?" Zhiguang Zhenren said.
Yue Wen said, "There was a lot going on at home back then. I really underperformed."
Zhiguang Zhenren fell silent for a moment, then couldn't be bothered to entertain his humblebrag. "While your family was traveling, you encountered a spatial rift and an evil spirit descent. During that incident, you were severely injured and in a coma for half a year. Your parents both went missing, correct?"
"Yes." Yue Wen nodded as she recounted his experience.
Zhiguang Zhenren suddenly asked, "Do you want to find them?"
Yue Wen replied without hesitation, "Of course I do, it's just..."
He trailed off.
Zhiguang Zhenren said, "Actually, within the Bureau, there is some intelligence regarding your parents. That incident likely wasn't a simple spatial rift. It was related to the research topic your father had been studying."
"What was it?" The calm finally left Yue Wen's eyes.
"I can't tell you more. It involves classified information... unless..." Zhiguang Zhenren paused, finally stating her purpose. "You join the Supernatural Management Bureau."
...
"Me?" Yue Wen was taken aback. "Join the Bureau?"
He truly hadn't expected this. She had actually come to recruit him.
"That's right." Zhiguang Zhenren glanced around the room. "Only by entering the Bureau and raising your rank can you access classified documents. I certainly can't guarantee you'll find them after reading, but knowing more might give you an extra sliver of chance. Anyway, you're already handling evil spirit cases. Going solo here isn't as good as joining us."
Yue Wen smiled noncommittally. "How's the benefits package?"
"Official staff status. Six insurances and two funds," Zhiguang Zhenren said.
"It really is quite attractive." Yue Wen said apologetically, "But I'm undisciplined and used to freedom. I probably don't fit into the Bureau. I'm truly sorry—for you to personally condescend to come here, and for me to be so tactless."
"If it were any other time, I certainly wouldn't have come to you personally." Zhiguang Zhenren looked at him and continued, "It's just that the Youth Cultivator Conference is less than a year away. Jiang City hasn't produced any competitive seed-level candidates this term. Our superiors have issued a mandatory task to proactively recruit some young cultivation prodigies."
"Prodigy?" Yue Wen scratched his head and laughed. "I wouldn't dare claim that."
The full name of the Qingxiu Conference was the Youth Cultivator Conference, also called the Dragon Ascension Conference.
This grand event, held once every four years, was open to all cultivators under the age of twenty-five. It was specifically designed to select the human race's cultivation geniuses for focused nurturing. Those who performed well in the Youth Cultivator Conference could become famous overnight and gain countless followers.
But that had always been a stage for true geniuses.
He was just an independent cultivator who wanted to run a small firm. He had never fantasized about showing his face at the conference.
"To reach your current realm in just two and a half years as an independent cultivator with no sect background absolutely qualifies you as a genius," Zhiguang Zhenren said, her gaze sharp. "However, in cultivation, resources and background are paramount. The ceiling for independent cultivators is ultimately too low. With the Bureau's focused nurturing, I believe your talent would definitely achieve far more."
"Receiving the Bureau's nurturing means I'd have to sell my life to the Bureau too, right?" Yue Wen refused with a smile. "I also know a thing or two about your casualty rates. I'd rather remain a proprietor myself."
"Cultivation is inherently an act of defying the heavens. Where is there no danger?" Zhiguang Zhenren was slightly disappointed but still said, "Forget it. If you ever change your mind, you can come find me."
Since Yue Wen insisted on refusing, she didn't press further. After speaking, her entire body stiffened slightly, then with a soft *peng*, she transformed into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.
Only a single black hair carrying a faint fragrance remained in her place.
"Phew—" Only after Zhiguang Zhenren left did Yue Wen let out a long breath, his entire state relaxing.
Her cultivation was far above his. Although it was only an avatar, the pressure she casually emanated was difficult for him to withstand.
Especially since he had lied during their conversation just now.
The reason he refused to join the Bureau wasn't because he feared danger.
The full name of the Supernatural Management Bureau was the Supernatural Power Management Bureau. It was an official organization established after the Spirit Qi Calamity, specifically responsible for managing cultivators and handling evil spirit incidents.
Logically speaking, joining them would give him a stable backer. While he would certainly be used by them, he would also gain a lot of assistance. As Zhiguang Zhenren said, the ceiling would certainly be far higher than that of an independent cultivator.
Moreover, she had been very sincere today. Young cultivators recruited for the Youth Cultivator Conference would inevitably receive the best nurturing, with resources poured into them as expected.
This was an opportunity that countless people begged for but couldn't obtain.
But Yue Wen couldn't join.
Because there were many things he couldn't let others know.
For example, his excitement just now had been an act. He had long known that his parents' disappearance was connected to certain secrets.
For example, during the half-year coma, Yue Wen hadn't been completely unconscious.
He had seen a dragon.