Chapter Forty-Eight: Lu Renjia

“May I ask, sir, for what purpose have you brought us here? Surely it can’t be to admire my beauty?” Ling Mei’s old habit resurfaced; she began to sway her hips, displaying her voluptuous and alluring figure.

Every man present swallowed hard, their throats suddenly dry.

“Ahem, Miss Ling Mei, that won’t be necessary. I have all your information already. If I were a few hundred years younger, I might indeed be moved by your charm!” the old man, Lu Renjia, adjusted his white hair and smiled.

“What? You know about me? That’s impossible!” Ling Mei exclaimed in disbelief. She had lived in the Spirit Realm since childhood and only came to the mortal world in recent years, keeping a low profile. It seemed almost impossible for anyone to have uncovered her background.

“It’s mainly because the sacrifices made by your Yiqi Sect for our world have been so great. We have always been moved by your selflessness, by the fact that you act solely for others, not yourselves. When we learned that your sect stands as a barrier in the Spirit Realm, doing everything possible to protect the human world, and about the sacrifices made by several of your elders, we felt a deep sense of guilt and helplessness. They were truly noble and great individuals.” Lu Renjia’s expression was one of solemn mourning.

Ling Mei and the others showed traces of sorrow as well—except for Wu Ming, who perhaps due to limited contact or an inherently cold nature, felt nothing at all. In fact, deep down, Wu Ming always felt that Lu Renjia was not a good person. Though he spoke so eloquently, it couldn’t cover up the fact that they had planted spies in the Yiqi Sect and monitored them closely. While it could be argued this was understandable, Wu Ming found the old man’s hypocrisy distasteful.

Lu Renjia led the group into the reception hall. Once everyone was seated, he began to warm the teacups, placing a small purple clay cup—about the size of a bottle cap—in front of each person, and poured tea for all, gesturing for them to drink.

Wu Ming picked up his cup, immediately met by a delicate fragrance. Habitually, he brought it to his nose and inhaled. The aroma was pleasant, and his tongue tingled in anticipation. He quickly downed the tea in one gulp; the liquid flowed warm down his throat and into his stomach. Other than the warmth and fragrance, Wu Ming felt nothing else. To be honest, he was not someone suited to tea—he saw it as little more than a thirst-quencher, with the only difference from water being a few tea leaves for flavor.

“Don’t you have a larger cup? After all you’ve put us through today, I’m dying of thirst!” Director Baolong immediately finished everyone’s tea, and the old man, chuckling, refilled each cup—only for Director Baolong to drain them all again.

“So, may I ask what business you have with us?” Ling Mei regained her usual regal composure. Truth be told, when not acting coquettish, her noble and cool demeanor, paired with her stunning features and sensuous figure, made her seem like the most perfect creation of the gods.

“There’s nothing particularly important, really,” the old man replied, pausing and sweeping his gaze around the room.

“I know that your proxy in the human world is called Steward Meng Ling, responsible for handling those from the Spirit Realm who break the rules here. I’ve also heard about the recent events...” The old man tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, a pattern Wu Ming felt he’d heard somewhere before.

“In other words, the task of maintaining order can no longer continue. Since that’s the case, it’s time for us humans to take up the responsibility ourselves! Your sect has sacrificed so much for us. Even though our own strength is lacking at present, we will grow in time!” The old man changed the tea set and refilled their cups.

Wu Ming felt uncomfortable listening to this. Though he was human himself, it was clear what the old man meant: from now on, humans would handle their own affairs. This was the perfect opportunity for humanity to establish a dedicated organization, though they would express their gratitude to the Spirit Realm. They might not be powerful now, but they would become so.

“Eliminating powerful illegal entities from the Spirit Realm is still quite dangerous for ordinary mortals, so I hope we can work together!”

“Of course, if you refuse to cooperate, it would be considered conspiracy to murder a lonely, innocent man! Think it over before you sign these!” The old man coughed, then turned and left the room.

Just as he closed the door, he turned back and said, “Take your time to discuss. I’m in no hurry.”

With that, he quietly shut the door behind him.

“What are you waiting for? Just sign and get it over with. Whether you agree or not, there’s no escaping the clutches of someone like him. You might as well just accept it!” Director Baolong, without another word, signed his name and slumped onto the sofa.

“That’s true. Signing gets us official status anyway; it’ll make things easier in the future. Not a bad deal!” Wu Ming had already signed a contract with the Yiqi Sect, so what was one more? As the saying goes, when you have many debts, you stop worrying about them.

One by one, they all signed reluctantly. Music, the last, took out her little stamp and pressed it down beside her name. The old man reappeared instantly, gathered the documents, locked them in a safe, and handed them to the nearby police officer to be taken away quickly.

“Excellent, very good. Military and civilian cooperation is the way forward!” The old man’s face, previously smooth as a child’s, now wrinkled up like a monstrous chrysanthemum.

“May I ask what kind of organization you actually are?” Wu Ming asked indifferently.

“We? We’re a special incidents bureau! Have you ever heard of S.H.I.E.L.D. in America? We’re something like that!” The old man laughed.

“Seriously?” Wu Ming was incredulous.

“What’s so impressive about that? Our Yiqi Sect was once the leading sect in the Spirit Realm! It’s just a pity that now, who knows what’s become of them? We haven’t been able to make contact for a long time.” Director Baolong, who was full of spirit at first, wilted at the thought of the sect’s current plight.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Baolong! With so many experts in our sect, everything will be fine. Have faith!” Music raised her fist in encouragement, her face brimming with confidence.

“Given our sect’s past, this is nothing. Have faith in our school!” Ling Mei, too, was convinced that the Yiqi Sect would not face annihilation; such a colossal force could not be so easily destroyed.

“I agree. The Yiqi Sect’s roots are deep, and it’s not easily shaken. Perhaps some special circumstance has temporarily sealed off the passage between realms,” said the old man.

For the first time, Wu Ming thought that perhaps the old man wasn’t entirely a bad person after all.