Chapter 90: Jing Ke

When he said this.

Jing Ke suddenly slapped his forehead.

"By the way, remember to return the notebook to me later— we don't have many left in storage, and getting it back is perfect for handing out to new recruits."

Wu Xian blinked in surprise.

"You want it back?"

He wasn't reluctant to give up the notebook—he'd memorized every piece of information inside—but Qi Zhiyong had invited Wu Xian to join the Creed, yet this Jing Ke showed not the slightest interest in recruiting him?

Wu Xian's eyes slowly widened.

Wu Xian couldn't help but shiver.

Were those armed robbers in black robes really of this aesthetic?

An angry shout came from the other end of the phone.

His expression turned unusually serious.

"Never mind."

"Qi Zhiyong invited you because he believes in the theory of value—but that's his idea, not the Creed's."

Jing Ke had an astonishing appetite; by the time he spoke, only empty plates remained on the table, and he let out a satisfied burp.

"Most employees at Fuyuan Chenghuang's office have signed contracts—their job is to maintain order in the real world, and a few Lotus Juanren also work there."

Aside from the old man who'd already exploded his coins, he didn't want to sacrifice his life for anything, so he shook his head.

He shook his head violently, his mind growing even more wary.

Wu Xian had no interest in the Creed's organizational philosophy.

…

Jing Ke sighed and shook his head.

Hearing Jing Ke say the food was delicious, Hei Gu's resentful glare vanished, and her tail began wagging again—this dog's thoughts were so easy to read.

He thought of Jing Ke's nightmare, and a chill ran down his spine—his enjoyment of the Blessed Land depended on the real world being a safe haven; if the real world became like the Blessed Land…

"Save it!"

"Sigh, you young people— if you want to know something, just go ask them directly. Why make it so complicated?"

Jing Ke spread his hands.

Jing Ke shook his head.

"Channel all that energy into fighting evil spirits!"

"You're not working as a detective anymore, so you've got no income right now, right?"

"You've caused Fuyuan Chenghuang's office a lot of trouble—they're worried about contamination from the Blessed Land, so they dare not use most methods on that compressed file, and had to delegate the investigation to me."

"Everyone's exhausted—don't ever do something like this again."

But Wu Xian hadn't expected the Creed to look down on him so much—it made him distinctly unhappy.

Wu Xian thought carefully.

"All our efforts are simply to keep this real world as 'real' as possible…"

"The Creed may not be what you imagine—our original purpose was to give the lost a direction, and the faithful a harbor."

"If you're with the Creed, why are you helping those people investigate me?"

"Do you know what my greatest nightmare is? That one day, returning from the Blessed Land, I find the real world—once warm and safe—has become as cruel as the Blessed Land, with no place left to rest. That's my greatest nightmare."

"You damn old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud, how much longer are you going to cling to your weird rules…"

He looked at the leftover scraps on the table—Jing Ke had eaten them and hadn't died, so maybe he could eat them safely from now on…

Jing Ke moved the phone slightly away to avoid hearing the foul language on the other end, then, after estimating the time had passed, placed it back to his ear.

Wu Xian's detective agency was closed, and he'd been eating, drinking, and spending wildly—his bank balance was plummeting… If he could get some money from the Creed, he could extend his godlike life in the real world a little longer.

"If we take in just anyone, we wouldn't be the 'Creed' anymore."

"I knew you'd react this way—you probably think Fuyuan Chenghuang's office is full of bloodshed, exploitation, and deceit, that everyone is scheming against each other, hiding earth-shattering conspiracies, and that registering traps you in an inescapable pit…"

"Otherwise? Leave it for you? Don't joke— you don't meet the Creed's requirements."

"Do you have the resolve to sacrifice your life to uphold your belief—or rather… do you even have such a belief?"

"Your household meals are amazing—almost rivaling the chef at Qipi Restaurant. You'd better live a long time and don't die too soon—I'll come back to mooch off you again!"

"Qi Zhiyong got in—why don't I qualify?"

"Enough said. Give me the notebook."

It sent a slight tremor through Wu Xian's heart.

"I've met the person Qi Zhiyong chose—a talented kid, but stubborn in temperament. He might survive a long time in the Blessed Land, but I didn't invite him because he hasn't found something he truly believes in yet…"

"I suggest you register at Fuyuan Chenghuang's office—it's near the First Fuli Academy, easy to find, but you have to get close to see it. Normal Lotus Juanren only receive the information after passing through the second Blessed Land—I'm giving you a heads-up today."

"After registering, you don't have to do anything— as long as you're alive, you get a monthly subsistence allowance, and the more Blessed Lands you experience, the higher the allowance becomes. You also get rice, flour, oil, eggs, laundry detergent, and other essentials during holidays…"

"The people you mentioned—they're 'Fuyuan Chenghuang's office,' right? They're good kids—the stability of the real world depends on them."

Wu Xian narrowed his eyes.

Jing Ke dialed a phone number.

Jing Ke replied with a sigh.

Judging from Qi Zhiyong, this organization might be a bit rigid, but at least it wasn't made up of bad people.

Jing Ke's words.

After leaving Wu Xian's home for some distance.

Still, he wouldn't believe Jing Ke's words outright—he'd verify the truth about 'Fuyuan Chenghuang's office' in his own way.

"Not lost. I think it's kind of interesting."

"Then let me ask you—are you confused about the Blessed Land?"

If the creed strongly appealed to him, Wu Xian might reluctantly join.

Upon hearing there were no benefits, Wu Xian immediately lost interest and threw out his next question.

"Without the Chenghuang Office, the real world would have already fallen."

"The Blessed Land is crushing us until we can barely breathe; the malevolent spirits are drinking our blood and eating our flesh—we're nearly all dead already, so how could we possibly have energy left to scheme against our own people!"

Wu Xian watched Jing Ke ride away on a bicycle.

"Our creed actually has someone working at the Chenghuang Office—if you want a position too, I can help arrange it, but you'll have to pay me a referral fee."

Holding his notebook, Jing Ke walked to the door, waving goodbye to Wu Xian while rubbing his stomach, under Black Gu's resentful gaze.

Jing Ke sipped his mushroom soup.

"Besides, we're all poor and have no benefits..."

He suddenly realized that, all along, he might have overcomplicated things—he had always habitually doubted everything, forgetting that the truth is sometimes surprisingly simple.

"The Chenghuang Office?"

"Besides, Qi Zhiyong upheld his belief."

"Send out notices to others—he can now be given a funeral."

(End of Chapter)