Gu Jianlin turned around and saw a cold and sharp woman leaning against the stone pillar.

Han Jing, the deputy leader of the Nightwatchers, and his father's former colleague.

This woman gave off the impression of being cold and rigid, with a naturally stern face, like one of those middle school female discipline directors who would drag you to the office for a scolding if you stepped out of line.

Although it was hard to create a complete profile of her personality at the moment, it was evident that she had undergone strict training, had a tumultuous past, and possessed an extremely tough personality—definitely a difficult person to deal with.

Besides her, there was a middle-aged man standing off to the side, his face filled with an arrogant expression.

A quick profile revealed that he embodied features commonly associated with the majority of imbeciles.

"Hello, what brings you here?"

Gu Jianlin was exceptionally polite because his infamous reputation had already spread far and wide, and he needed to do something to salvage his name.

Be kind to others!

Remember, be kind to others!

Han Jing kept her stern face and got straight to the point: "Would you consider becoming a Nightwatcher candidate?"

Before anything else could be said, the middle-aged man chuckled softly: "The genius seeds trained in the Omega Sequence eventually get assigned to various departments, return to their families, or join ancient sects. Since the hope of becoming king is slim, we start selecting people in advance. Having a faction to back you means you can build a future too."

Gu Jianlin frowned: "And this is?"

"This is Wang Taisheng, the inspector of the Nightwatcher Department," Han Jing said coldly.

Han Jing continued in an icy tone: "Your talent is exceptional, even surpassing your father's. That's why I hope you'll join the Nightwatchers in the future. Our department will spare no effort in training you. You've saved Mu Feng and Fu Qingxuan, and many Nightwatchers admire you, ready to be your strongest support."

Wang Taisheng smiled pleasantly: "That's exactly right."

Gu Jianlin was slightly stunned, surprised that they had come to recruit him.

The Nightwatchers were a special operations department; their members were nearly all super elites, akin to secret agents in the Extraordinary World, traveling the globe to handle various emergency situations.

Joining wasn't entirely out of the question.

No, wait.

Old Gu seemed to have been a prodigy like him, then joined the Omega Sequence.

Eventually, he became a Nightwatcher.

If Gu Jianlin followed the same path, wouldn't that be walking in his father's footsteps?

No, that's a bit bleak.

Han Jing spoke faintly: "Think it over carefully."

Wang Taisheng smiled and said: "As long as you stop investigating your father's case, you'll be safe."

Suddenly, Gu Jianlin fell silent, his gaze subtly changing.

Han Jing glanced at him and said: "I know what you're thinking, but that doesn't necessarily mean your father's case has issues. What it does mean is, if you insist on investigating it, you're essentially declaring war on the Judgement Court. They will see you as a weapon put forth by another faction trying to confront the Judgement Court outright."

"Considering you've already made a name for yourself and proved your value, with the King of Qing behind you, many people will come forward to seek justice for your father—but they may not be truly sincere in helping you."

She paused and continued: "They may harbor ulterior motives, looking to manipulate you to fight the Judgement Court. The factional struggles are incredibly brutal, and in the end, the person who suffers most and in the worst possible way will undoubtedly be you. If you cause too much upheaval and disrupt the balance between factions, even the President won't tolerate it."

A sharp glint flashed in Wang Taisheng's eyes as he said coldly: "The President values talents, but that doesn't mean she won't kill such talents either. History is full of geniuses, and in the grand scheme of things, they're not worth much. The most valuable asset will always be your own life. Kids, there are things you simply can't bear."

There was something he didn't say.

That is, the King of Qing doesn't have much time left to live.

This was a commonly held belief.

Gu Jianlin didn't hesitate and directly said: "Sorry, I refuse."

He grabbed the birdcage and walked away.

Han Jing's gaze grew razor-sharp.

"Do you really think you're something special? In the Omega Sequence, your rank is the lowest—in what capacity will you compete with others? And the tasks assigned to you will be the lowest too. By the time you endure for years and rise to high-levels, the King of Qing will likely have passed away. What will you do then?"

Wang Taisheng's grin vanished, and he spoke coldly: "Become a pawn in factional struggles? Have you ever thought about how your presence disrupts the internal balance of the association and whether you can handle the cost of that?"

Gu Jianlin didn't look back, responding calmly: "I can."

It was an answer that left them speechless.

Han Jing and Wang Taisheng both fell silent.

"Fine, fine, I really can't understand. Your father died because of the Gu Family's curse. Since he's already dead, does it really matter what he did? Is it worth destabilizing factional balance over such trivial matters?"

Wang Taisheng was so enraged he laughed bitterly.

For some reason, Han Jing glanced at him.

Gu Jianlin suddenly stopped walking, turned around expressionless, and said: "First, I don't care about the association's internal factional tussles, but even without me, do you think they wouldn't fight amongst themselves? Don't try to pin everything on me. Secondly, I don't know your relation to the Judgement Court, but keep one thing in mind."

He enunciated every word: "It was the Judgement Court that provoked me first."

His father's case—he knew with absolute certainty that it was a wrongful injustice.

Originally, he might have approached it with more patience and subtlety.

But since the Judgement Court had crossed him first, there was no saving face now.

With that, he turned and left.

As he stepped outside, a suppressed voice filled with anger echoed from the lobby door.

"Do you really think you can shake the Judgement Court?"

Gu Jianlin let out a chuckle.

From inside the birdcage, the parrot immediately perked up, loudly jeering: "Who the hell cares? Who the *bleep* are you?"

Wang Taisheng's expression froze in place.

"He, he…"

He extended his finger, trembling.

Han Jing shot him a cold glance, folded her arms, and turned to leave.

·

·

A red supercar was parked by the roadside.

Gu Jianlin sat in the passenger seat, looking at the bald parrot in the cage, and sighed deeply.

In the end, sarcasm won out.

His resolve to "Be kind to others" barely lasted five minutes before failing again.

How did it turn out this way?

Gu Jianlin believed it wasn't his fault—it was the fault of the world.

His infamous reputation in the Extraordinary World would likely remain stained forever.

It didn't matter, though, as long as his persona in the real world stayed intact.

By now, Youzhu should have received the secret medicine he sent her.

She was someone who cared deeply about self-maintenance and would probably be thrilled.

The driver's seat was empty—Lin Wanqiu had been waiting for him in the car but had vanished.

About five minutes later, the doors to the Deep Space Technology Building swung open again.

A group of masked demon hunters affiliated with the Judgement Court emerged, their gazes chilling.

Lin Wanqiu was at the very end, still dressed as an alluring older sister, stunningly beautiful.

But Gu Jianlin caught a fleeting glimpse of panic and fear in her eyes.

It felt like an illusion, so brief it almost disappeared.

This woman was very good at hiding her emotions. If not for her unnatural body language, it would've been difficult to detect the fear and unease lurking beneath her seductive gaze.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Lin Wanqiu said, opening the car door and smiling alluringly: "The Judgement Court's demon hunters wanted to question me. It took a little time. Shall we head to Black Cloud City now?"

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly, casually responding: "Is the Judgement Court investigating a traitor?"

Lin Wanqiu chuckled silently and then started the car, driving onto the long street and blending into the traffic.

"Yes, after all, the Dark World's only way to get intel on the association's actions is by bribing informants," she said, somewhat intentionally. "Let's not talk about that anymore. I heard Captain Lu and Deputy Captain Chen are recovering from injuries and preparing for advancement. Do you currently have a favored Guardian in mind?"

She was getting down to business.

Gu Jianlin could sense this woman's deliberate attempts to flatter him.

It was a complete departure from the commanding attitude she'd displayed at the hospital.

"Not yet," he replied evenly.

Lin Wanqiu's smile deepened as she casually flipped her long wavy hair over her shoulder, exuding an intoxicating charm. "Then… what do you think about me?"

Gu Jianlin replied calmly: "Not much."

Lin Wanqiu's expression froze instantly—this was the last response she expected.

She was a Fourth Rank Priest, a rare healer, stunningly attractive.

Plus, she had a Sixth Rank Angel as her mentor within the Priest path.

There was no way she should've been rejected.

"Is there some misunderstanding between us?"

She took a deep breath, maintaining her gentle smile, and softly said: "The last time at the hospital, it was just to check your physical condition. Although the Judgement Court did ask me to pay attention to any abnormalities in your body, they only wanted to know if your father had left you anything or to figure out the nature of those two Mythical Weapons. But I didn't comply with them and ultimately said nothing."

Gu Jianlin grunted in response: "Is that so?"

"The Judgement Court is notorious for being ruthless—I don't like those people either," Lin Wanqiu added.

All right, anyone in the Peak City District could tell she loved associating with the Judgement Court.

After all, their authority was unmatched.

Now, she claimed she didn't like them.

"Hmm."

Again, Gu Jianlin grunted softly, his head lowered as he fiddled with his phone.

Just then, he noticed an unexpected voice message on WeChat.

Youzhu: "Do you have a problem with my chest size?"

A cold and clear voice, tinged with discreet annoyance.

Gu Jianlin froze in disbelief—how did things come to this?

"Who is it?"

Lin Wanqiu began gossiping again.

Gu Jianlin set his face expressionlessly: "My sister."

Lin Wanqiu suddenly realized, remembering this teenager's profile—

He came from a restructured family.

The family members' information had been detailed in his file.

Her lips tilted upward slightly as she subtly adjusted her neckline and pushed out her full chest.

Gu Jianlin: "..."

No, the attempt to flatter was just brazen at this point.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly thought of something and casually asked: "By the way, Captain Lin, you mentioned last time that Mythical Weapons can be exchanged for other resources?"

Lin Wanqiu's eyes brightened, and she quickly said: "Yes, if you feel those two Mythical Weapons aren't suitable for you, you can absolutely trade them with others. Since you've joined the Omega Sequence, you're already entitled to exchange for one Mythical Weapon. This way, you could have three Mythical Weapons."

She explained earnestly: "With three Mythical Weapons and effective synergy, you'd be invincible within your rank."

As she spoke, she paused slightly.

It occurred to her that this boy might already be invincible.

"Got it, thanks," Gu Jianlin said.

Lin Wanqiu glanced at him and smiled before asking: "What are the effects of your two Mythical Weapons? If they're not suitable, I can help you report them or find someone to trade them with—I have extensive connections."

Gu Jianlin looked into her eyes and finally confirmed her true identity.

Priest path.

A Fourth Rank Holy Mother.

The Judgement Court's investigation had frightened her, leading to her desperation to find support.

At the same time, her intense interest in the Lock of Nonexistence and Soul Comforting Bell became unmistakable.

She was even willing to use her beauty to seduce a seventeen-year-old boy.

Indeed, boys must protect themselves well in the outside world.

Gu Jianlin sighed softly.

Sea Demon, is this you?

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[PS: This book is first published on the Qidian Reading App, next update at 11:30 tonight]