Chapter 367: The Juannren and the Nieren

Willow leaves trembled, fine rain fell endlessly.

It had been sunny when he left, but light rain had begun by the time he reached the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office.

The Fuyuan Chenghuang Office's parking lot was large, but too many Lotus Juanren had come to collect grain rations; Wu Xian spent considerable time parking before joining the queue at the office entrance to receive his monthly stipend and grain.

This group included people of every occupation.

Farmers, laborers, parents caring for children, security guards, street vendors…

They were all Lotus Juanren, yet they were also ordinary civilians, one among the masses of the real world—many of them might one day die silently, forgotten by all.

The queue Wu Xian joined was handled by Tong Yu'ai.

This single mother was strikingly beautiful, making her immensely popular among the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office's reception staff.

Tong Yu'ai treated other Lotus Juanren with cold professionalism, but upon seeing Wu Xian, her face lit up with warmth—something that left the other Lotus Juanren slightly envious.

This was not surprising.

Tong Yu'ai had no memories of the Fudi.

To her, Wu Xian had rescued her from a burning pit; without him, she could never have secured her job at the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office.

The job offered excellent pay, generous leave, and superior benefits, putting her and her son's lives firmly back on track.

If she didn't already have a son, she might have offered herself to him.

Wu Xian smiled and handed over his degree certificate.

The degree certificate served as a Lotus Juanren's ID; Fuyuan Chenghuang Office staff could use it to determine how many times a Lotus Juanren had entered the Fudi, and thus how much grain and stipend to issue.

Tong Yu'ai took the certificate, first surprised, then delighted, then slightly disappointed.

"Congratulations—you may take the left staircase to the second floor. From now on, you no longer need to queue here for your monthly stipend."

Wu Xian took back his degree certificate.

Indeed, since acquiring that lotus, the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office's treatment of him had changed.

…

Following Tong Yu'ai's instructions, Wu Xian arrived on the second floor of the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office.

At the second-floor entrance stood a guard with pale skin and a black suit; though his attire differed, Wu Xian felt his aura resembled the yin clerks he had seen at his Yaocheng Fuyuan Chenghuang Office.

After checking Wu Xian's degree certificate, the guard directed him to a reception room and told him to wait.

Moments later.

A short-haired woman in a gray women's suit burst into the reception room, breathless, and collapsed into the chair opposite Wu Xian, slapping a stack of documents onto the table.

"Hello, I'm your dedicated assistant, Han Han Xiaoying."

"Congratulations on enduring hardship, overcoming terror, and rising from the ranks of ordinary Lotus Juanren to become a 'One-Lotus Juannren.' Your benefits at the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office will now differ—feel free to ask me any questions."

Han Han Xiaoying was short, with well-proportioned features, red lips, white teeth, and a touch of baby fat on her face. Aware her appearance lacked seriousness, she tried her best to adopt a cold, aloof demeanor.

Watching Han Han Xiaoying, Wu Xian's expression twisted, as if he wanted to speak but held back, then wanted to hold back but spoke again.

"I don't even know what to ask—why don't you explain first?"

Han Han Xiaoying opened the documents.

She began listing each item for Wu Xian.

"Starting today, you will no longer receive monthly rice, flour, oil, or other staples, and your stipend will no longer increase with the number of Fudi entries."

Wu Xian immediately panicked.

"Absolutely not!"

"We will issue you a dedicated bank card. Every first of the month, ten thousand yuan will be deposited into it."

Wu Xian's face instantly lit up with a smile.

Ten thousand yuan sounded modest, but it exceeded the income of most laborers. The monthly stipend and grain rations given to Lotus Juanren were merely a minimum subsistence allowance—even after multiple Fudi entries, they never reached this amount.

Receiving ten thousand yuan monthly without working was a godlike existence.

Han Han Xiaoying continued.

"Additionally, you may use me to access benefits provided by the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office for Lotus Juannren."

"Professional medical services, access to affordable high-quality goods, reserved train tickets and hotel bookings, reimbursement for additional losses caused by Fudi or demonic incidents, assistance with legal matters…"

These were tangible benefits; Wu Xian listened intently.

If he suffered anxiety or trauma from the Fudi, he could consult a top-tier psychologist through Han Han Xiaoying.

If his vehicle was damaged by a demonic entity, he could report it to Han Han Xiaoying for reimbursement by the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office.

He could even use her to purchase durable clothing, premium food, and household goods unavailable on the open market—all of which would greatly reduce his living expenses.

Additionally, there were holiday gifts: mooncake and crab gift boxes for Mid-Autumn, zongzi and lobster boxes for Dragon Boat Festival, and occasional movie tickets, shopping vouchers, or game gift boxes.

The Fudi benefits were excessive—utterly worlds apart from the ordinary Lotus Juanren lining up for soybean oil below.

Seeing Han Han Xiaoying pause, Wu Xian asked seriously: "These are all excellent—but what's the cost?"

Han Han Xiaoying shook her head.

"Those who become Lotus Juannren are the elite among Lotus Juanren; as long as you live, you bring the greatest benefit to the real world."

"Compared to before, the only new requirement is this."

Han Han Xiaoying pulled a portrait from the documents.

"If you see the person in this portrait, immediately report them to the Fuyuan Chenghuang Office and do your best to kill them. If you receive information aiding in their elimination, provide whatever help you can."

Wu Xian picked up the portrait, his eyes flickering with shock.

The image showed a cloaked figure holding a candle, face blurred.

"This is…"

Han Han Xiaoying explained seriously.

"You've probably heard of them—or seen them—in the Fudi."

Wu Xian nodded: "I thought they existed only within the Fudi."

Han Han Xiaoying shook her head.

"Those dressed like this usually call themselves 'Sowers of Seeds.'"

"They plant calamity, breed demonic entities—they are the origin of all evil, the beginning of all disasters, the architects of every Fudi tragedy."

"We generally refer to them as 'Nieren.'"

"Nieren do not appear only in the Fudi—they also roam the real world, scheming to turn the real world into another Fudi."

"Therefore, all Lotus Juanren must hold only one attitude toward Nieren."

"See them—kill them."

Wu Xian stared at Han Han Xiaoying for a moment, then leaned back in his chair.

"Nieren are indeed a plague—but these bastards are probably not easy to deal with."

Han Han Xiaoying smiled. "The terror of Nieren lies in the seeds they plant—those seeds may grow into powerful demonic entities."

"But Nieren themselves possess no power like that of demons."

"They are still human, merely employing vile, treacherous, disgusting methods. Their strength varies—dangerous for ordinary Lotus Juanren to face, but Lotus Juannren have the standing to confront them."

"Besides, we never fight demons and heretics one-on-one. These Nieren are like rats in sewers—once they show their heads, it's their end!"

(End of Chapter)