Translator: RogueKat | Editor: RogueKat

——————————————————————

"Night Walker!" Zhang Yuanqing said calmly.

"I'm asking about your profession."

"Night Walker."

...Li Dongze was stunned at first, then suddenly straightened his back, leaned forward, and stared at Zhang Yuanqing with a burning gaze, saying: "You, you are a Night Walker?"

"Yes." Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

"Wow..." Li Dongze almost jumped from his seat and remained silent for more than ten seconds to digest this news. He raised his voice and asked again: "You are the Night Walker? I, I just picked up a Night Walker?"

This was something he never expected, like just saying to someone: "I really hope to win a five million lottery ticket."

And then he actually won...

"Jackpot..." Li Dongze put down his wine glass, repeatedly scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing, and looked excited.

Every Night Walker is a highly sought-after figure.

They are the object of competition among various Spirit Realm Walker teams and even factions.

Li Dongze knew that a young woman from the Hundred Flowers Society had seduced a Night Walker informant from the Scarlet Flame Gang by sleeping with him, and convinced him to switch sides and voluntarily join the Hundred Flowers Society, becoming a servant of two families.

Because of this, the Scarlet Flame Gang and the Hundred Flowers Society almost came to blows, and even the headquarters of the Five Elements Alliance couldn't mediate the situation.

Later, that Night Walker died on a Spirit Realm mission, and the matter finally calmed down.

Li Dongze maintained a composed demeanor while concealing his excitement: "By the way, what is your Spirit Realm ID?"

Zhang Yuanqing replied with pride: "Yuanshi Tianzun!"

…Li Dongze paused for a moment, then clapped his hands and remarked: "What a great name."

Hey hey, aren't you praising me too hard? And what's with that looks like you want to fight me...Zhang Yuanqing humbly responded: "I'm glad you like it, Captain."

Just then, the black car pulled into the parking space near the green belt at the Kangyang Police Department.

"I'll arrange for you to handle the entry procedures now. The salary is 20,000 yuan per month, and there will be subsidies for missions. If you achieve merit, there will be additional performance bonuses. Any questions?"

Li Dongze seemed eager to get things done and settled without any delay.

"A monthly salary of 20,000 yuan? Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "No problem."

A monthly salary of 20,000 yuan is considered a high salary even in big cities like Songhai.

Zhang Yuanqing remembered that the monthly salary for the management level in the company where his mother worked was only between 50,000 and 100,000 yuan. Of course, this was only the basic salary and did not include bonuses, commissions, and stock options.

He followed Li Dongze out of the car and walked around to the back of the Public Security Bureau building, where they stopped in front of a two-story building.

This building was made up of huge glass blocks and had a sophisticated and elite feel to it.

Entering the front door of the building, they were faced with a steel staircase leading directly to the second floor.

On the left side of the first floor was the office area, where seven or eight women sat at their desks. There were beautiful young ladies, mature women, and capable and dignified aunties.

On the right side was the living area, with sofas, tables, refrigerators, induction cookers, water dispensers, and other household items.

They either worked with their heads down, wore headphones while watching dramas, or gathered together in groups of three or five to gossip.

When Li Dongze entered, they just glanced up at him and continued doing their own thing, without the usual fear that employees have for their bosses.

"I like this office atmosphere," Zhang Yuanqing murmured.

Li Dongze did not stop and led Zhang Yuanqing to the steel staircase. Suddenly he turned around and said: "These are ordinary staff, only here to serve us Spirit Realm Walkers. If you have any needs in your work and life, just tell them."

A secretary for both work and personal life? Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

The noisy chatter subsided as they reached the second floor. The layout on the second floor was much simpler, with Li Dongze's personal office on the entire left side and nine desks on the right side.

Most of them were empty, except for two people at their desks.

They were the investigators who visited Zhang Yuanqing's home yesterday, the tall beauty with long legs and the engineer-looking guy with messy hair and vacant eyes.

"Guan Ya, help him with the entry procedures." Li Dongze greeted them from a distance with a smile. "I have recruited a new colleague for you."

The engineer-looking guy raised his head and glanced at Zhang Yuanqing, nodding slightly before lowering his head to continue with his work.

The multiracial  beauty smiled and stood up, saying: "It looks like you have successfully completed the trial task, the young man who's into older women."

The young man who's into older women?! Zhang Yuanqing's expression froze for a moment, then he heard Li Dongze say beside him: "Guan Ya likes to joke around. You'll get used to it."

Li Dongze scolded his female subordinate: "Don't say anything strange in front of our young college students. He's still a boy."

The “boy” Zhang Yuanqing took a glance at a multiracial woman passing by, dressed in an "office lady" style suit with her shirt tucked into her skirt, outlining her slender waist and limbs. Her long, slender legs were wrapped in black stockings, and her slightly curled long hair swayed gently with each step. Her sharp and delicate facial features had a Western look, yet her skin was fair and delicate.

"Captain Li, I want to consult about the Trial Spirit Realm," Zhang Yuanqing said, not forgetting his purpose.

"If you have any questions, you can ask Guan Ya. I have something else to do and have to go first," Li Dongze said warmly, his tone like a homeroom teacher speaking to a top student.

After finishing his explanation, he hurried back to his office, planning to report the news of recruiting a Night Walker to his superiors.

"Did Captain Li take the wrong medicine today? He seems to be floating as he walks," Guan Ya muttered, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing and said with a smile: "Come with me to fill out a form and give me your ID card."

"I didn't bring my ID card," Zhang Yuanqing said.

"Tell me your ID number," she said.

After leading Zhang Yuanqing to an empty desk, she threw him a form, recorded his ID number, and went downstairs.

Zhang Yuanqing picked up a pen from the holder and carefully examined the attribute panel of the Spirit Realm Walker form. He truthfully filled out the form, including information on his occupation, level, and trial task in the Spirit Realm, coincidentally planning to ask about the She Ling Tunnel dungeon later.

As soon as he finished filling out the form, Guan Ya returned with two contracts in her hand. She pulled a chair and sat next to him, sinking her round hips into the chair.

"Captain Li should have given you basic training, right?" she lazily leaned against the back of the chair, showcasing her magnificent chest. Zhang Yuanqing caught a whiff of a refreshing fragrance and secretly admired her. In an era where the average size was only C, an E-level powerhouse was enough to impress people.

"Your employment procedures have been completed. Here are the contracts and a confidentiality agreement."

After Zhang Yuanqing signed his name, Guan Ya's smiling lips tightened, and she spoke seriously: "There are a few things I need to explain to you. Starting today, you can't use your original ID card. The organization will give you a new one. It will be available within three days, and you can buy high-speed train and plane tickets as well as have access to the green channel. As for your new sim card, you will get it tomorrow."

"Why?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't understand the reason for this.

"When you named yourself in the spirit realm, it should have reminded you that you can't use your real name," Guan Ya said.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

Guan Ya explained in a deep voice: "There's a reason for this... We classify the classes in the spirit realm into two types: lawful and evil. Evil practitioners of the spirit realm are either violent and bloodthirsty or cruel and twisted. But they all have a common hobby, which is to hunt down lawful practitioners, such as us. It's dangerous for spirit realm walkers to reveal their identity in the real world."

Zhang Yuanqing's face turned serious as he realized that it was similar to factional warfare in games.

When he was told that he couldn't use his real name when naming himself, he thought it was strange. Did that mean that Li Dongze and Guan Ya weren't their real names either?

"But don't worry, we're an official organization. Normally, we're the hunters, and they're the prey," Guan Ya reassured him.

As Zhang Yuanqing's smile disappeared, Guan Ya comforted him.

"You must be an incredible hunter, Guan Ya sister," Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a compliment.

He's quite articulate... Guan Ya's lips curled up in a smile, and she tutted: "You're good at talking. How many girlfriends have you had?"

"I'm single!" Zhang Yuanqing replied.

Guan Ya was surprised. "Your trash can was so clean. I thought you had a girlfriend."

The trash can again. Do women have a special fetish for trash cans? Zhang Yuanqing silently criticized her in his heart.

"Do you want big sister to help you find a girlfriend online?” Guan Ya giggled.

That's enough woman, no, you old woman... Zhang Yuanqing replied angrily. "No need. I like a real girlfriend."

Guan Ya burst into laughter: "I like you little guy."

"Well, joking aside, let's focus on the matter at hand. Our team is the second out of the ten Spirit Realm Walker teams in the Kangyang region, and we are the second team. There are five Spirit Realm Walkers in our team, plus you, making it six. Only the captain and I are part of the White Tiger Army among the adventurers, and you will join us after becoming an official member. Keep this in mind."

It sounds like there is more prejudice between the factions of the Five Elements Alliance than I imagined... Zhang Yuanqing immediately said: "I will follow Sister Guan Ya in the future."

He didn't mention Li Dongze because he knew it would gain more favor from the young lady.

Sure enough, Guan Ya's smile became even more charming as she said: "Except for me and Wang Tai, the other Spirit Realm Walkers usually don't come to clock in for work. You are a student, so you don't have to come here every day. Don't be too restrained. The captain is a very good person, but when he gets emotional, his tone of voice can be strange, and he has a strong obsession with elegance."

"As for Wang Tai, his profession is a 'Scholar,' and he is good at learning and research. He is a civilian and if there is anything you don't understand, ask him. When you graduate from university in the future, you can ask him to help you write a thesis."

"But he's not good at socializing, and he hates it. You don't have to talk to him much, just treat him as a tool."

"As for me," she said with a smile: "I really like dealing with energetic young boys."

For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell whether she was speaking sincerely or joking. He quickly labeled the people in the team based on his understanding: the captain who pays attention to elegance, the socially anxious science and engineering student, and the old spinster.

"Oh, by the way, what's your zodiac sign?" Guan Ya asked.

"Scorpio!" Zhang Yuanqing didn't understand the reason why she suddenly asked this, but he answered truthfully.

Guan Ya looked at him with a strange expression and asked: "You really don't have a girlfriend?"

What does this have to do with zodiac signs... Zhang Yuanqing looked puzzled.

Guan Ya didn't believe him but didn't dwell on the topic. She picked up the form filled out by Zhang Yuanqing and read it out loud. "Yuanshi Tianzun...21 years old...hmm, can your ID be any more imposing? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten when you go out...Night Walker..."

Guan Ya's charming face was obviously stunned for a moment, and she blurted out: "You are a Night Walker?!"

Zhang Yuanqing really enjoyed her expression.

"No wonder the captain seemed like he was floating when he walked..." Guan Ya muttered, then she looked happy and said: "Now our team also has Night Walker, don't you dare run away with those wild women from other organizations."

Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Wang Tai not far away also raised his head and looked over.

"Yuanshi Tianzun, well, I'll call you Yuanshi from now on." Guan Ya looked happy as she read on, but she was stunned when she saw that his level was zero, and just as she was about to ask a question, she caught sight of the next line: Trial Mission: She Ling Tunnel!

Guan Ya's mind buzzed, her lips slightly open, her expression frozen and stupefied on the spot.

After a moment, she looked at him with an incredibly complex expression and asked: "Your trial spirit realm is the She Ling Tunnel?"

Seeing her expression, Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat: "I was just thinking about consulting the trial task. Since it's a copy, there must be a strategy, right?"

After he finished speaking, he saw Wang Tai, the engineer-looking guy who claimed to ignore everything, raise his head and look over. This time, his eyes were full of sympathy and pity.

"You, wait a minute..." Guan Ya left the office area with an unpleasant expression and headed towards Li Dongze's office.

Why did she look at him like he was already a lost cause? Zhang Yuanqing felt a little uneasy.

At this moment, Wang Tai at the next table said blandly: "It's true that there is a strategy, and every official walker must submit details of their own spirit realm experiences. The organization will give corresponding rewards. But the She Ling Tunnel is a bit different. Take a look for yourself..."

He handed Zhang Yuanqing a laptop.

Zhang Yuanqing, half-curious and half-perplexed, took the laptop and saw an open document on the screen.

Summary of Songhai Night Tour God's Trial Spirit Realms:

[ Wang Village Ruins, C-level, Mission Requirement: Survive until dawn.]

[The danger in the village comes from the hanging ghosts and the wasteland outside the village. Faced with the ghosts' demand for life, spirit realm walkers need to stand upside down to avoid danger. However, those with weak physical constitutions can only rely on their own luck.]

[The vengeful spirits in the desolate tombs will collectively enter the village at midnight. The spirit realm walker needs to go to the small grocery store to find candles as soon as possible. Lighting the candles can prevent being devoured by the ghosts.]

......

[Lingang Reservoir, B-level, Mission Requirement: Cross the reservoir.]

[On your way to cross the reservoir, water ghosts will try to drag you to the bottom of the water. Don't resist, just hold your breath for two minutes. The water ghosts will leave on their own after the time is over.]

......

[Ghosts Bride, A-level, Mission Requirement: Spend the night with the Ghost Bride in the bridal chamber until dawn.]

[The Ghost Bride is a beautiful, alluring, and charming woman who will treat every groom with passion. She won't harm her groom as long as he can satisfy her. But theoretically, no man can keep going on until dawn. This is almost a death trial spirit realm, and so far, only one brave man has survived, but he has developed a strong aversion to women since then.]

......

[Xiang Water Park, B-level, Mission Requirements...]

The more Zhang Yuanqing read, the more something seemed off, and the more he became confused.

Is it really this simple? These trial missions seem too easy, except for Ghost Bride which requires a lot of courage, the survival rate for other Spirit Realm trials is quite high.

Moreover, looking through the entire list, the highest difficulty level for missions is A-level, yet his trial mission is an S-level one in She Ling Tunnel.

As he continued to read, he finally saw She Ling Tunnel.

[She Ling Tunnel, Difficulty Level Unknown, Mission Requirements: Unknown.]

[The initial event was during the construction of the tunnel, where a construction team accidentally entered the Spirit Realm. Twelve people entered the Spirit Realm, but only one survived, with an abnormal mental state due to intense stimulation. 36 hours later, they re-entered the Spirit Realm and died within it.]

[Note: This Spirit Realm instance is extremely dangerous, and currently, there have been no successful examples of clearing the She Ling Tunnel.]

The last sentence was highlighted in bright red.

Zhang Yuanqing looked dazed.

*****

PS: This chapter was a bit too long so it took a while to translate it.
Note: Hope you all are happy with the translation. If you like the work I'm doing then do support me if you can. Cheers!