Chapter 655: Inspection

Lin Jianyi nodded. He didn’t offer an evaluation, but simply said, "Your Heart Image has completely stabilized."

He paused, then continued, "Right now, you already have one foot over the threshold of a Grandmaster. You only lack a bit of accumulation. In half a year at most, or a few months at the very least, it will all naturally fall into place. You will advance to Grandmaster."

Xu Wuyi stayed silent for a moment, then gave Lin Jianyi a deep bow. "Thank you for your guidance during this time, Teacher Lin."

Lin Jianyi waved his hand dismissively. "You comprehended it yourself. I was merely watching."

With that, he turned, walked back under the locust tree, sat down cross-legged again, and closed his eyes.

Zhao Qingwei looked at Xu Wuyi with complex eyes. Half a year. In half a year at most, this man would become a Grandmaster. Twenty-three years old... The Gregorian New Year had passed, so by then he would barely count as a twenty-four-year-old Grandmaster. He would be the youngest Grandmaster in the history of the Federation, bar none.

Meanwhile, she was still struggling at the threshold of the mid-Innate stage. She couldn’t even reach the lowest tier of a Quasi-Grandmaster.

She shook her head in resignation and spoke. "What are your plans now? Go into secluded cultivation until you break through?"

"I won’t go into seclusion. I only lack a bit of Power of Heart Image, so whether I seclude myself makes little difference," Xu Wuyi replied. "During this time, I want to take up a post somewhere."

Zhao Qingwei blanked for a moment. "Where?"

Xu Wuyi looked at her, his gaze calm. "The Inspection Department."

Zhao Qingwei froze. The Inspection Department. This was the internal department of the Federation responsible for investigating and dealing with internal corruption. Their work wasn’t complicated, but it was extremely prone to offending people. Therefore, very few prominent figures within the Federation were willing to take up a post there.

Xu Wuyi wanted to go there?

"Why?" she asked.

Xu Wuyi didn’t answer immediately. He looked up at the gray sky above the courtyard walls, at the occasional snowflakes drifting down, and toward the direction where they fell.

"There, I can come into contact with the most authentic operating rules within the Federation," he said after a pause. "I can see how privilege is abused, how corruption breeds, and how order is destroyed. I want to see the other side of this world with my own eyes."

Early the next morning, Xu Wuyi left Lin Jianyi’s small courtyard.

It was still snowing, even heavier than in the previous days. With the Liaoyuan Long Spear on his back, he crunched through the snow, slowly making his way down the mountain path. When he turned back after walking a long distance, the silhouette of that ancient pine tree had already blurred into the wind and snow.

He didn’t return to Red River City, heading directly to the military headquarters instead. It was the same gray building, and the same elevator leading down to the seventh underground floor. Only this time, Feng Zhuohua was the sole person waiting in the conference room.

"Have you made up your mind?" Feng Zhuohua cut straight to the chase.

Xu Wuyi sat down across from him. "I have."

Feng Zhuohua looked at him. After a few seconds of silence, he took a metal box out from his drawer and pushed it across the table. "Your new identity is in here."

Xu Wuyi opened the box. Inside lay two items. One was an identity card, pure black and completely devoid of logos. It only bore a string of numbers and a name: Meng Zhishou.

The other item was a mask. Split evenly down the middle into black and white, the mask would cover an entire face. Two pieces of pale blue crystal were embedded over the eye holes. The material was extremely light; wearing it would make one feel virtually no weight at all.

"The Inspection Department’s field operations group consists of a total of ten squads," Feng Zhuohua said, his voice calm. "Each squad has anywhere from five to seven people. The members range from a minimum of level thirty-five to a maximum of level forty-six, excluding the squad captains.

"As for the captains of the ten squads, two are on duty under their public identities, while the other eight use aliases. The two public ones are both well-known Quasi-Grandmasters in the Federation."

He paused, looking at Xu Wuyi. "You are the captain of the fourth squad. The previous captain died in the line of duty three months ago, and the position has been vacant ever since. It’s just right for you to fill the gap."

Xu Wuyi picked up the black identity card, flipped it over a few times to inspect it, and then placed it back in the box. "What do I need to do?"

"You don’t have to do anything," Feng Zhuohua said. "Your identity is already in the Inspection Department’s system. A level forty-seven Quasi-Grandmaster with an unknown Heart Image Power. Codenamed ’Mountain.’ As for your true identity, only the Minister of the Inspection Department and I know."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Xu Wuyi. "The Inspection Department’s job is not easy. The people you investigate are all prominent figures within the Federation. Elders of Noble Families, generals of major military regions, and even the disciples of certain Grandmasters. You offend far too many people. Without a fake identity, you wouldn’t live long."

Xu Wuyi said nothing.

Feng Zhuohua turned around to look at him. "Are you sure you want to take on this job?"

"I’m sure."

Feng Zhuohua nodded, offering no further persuasion. He walked back to the desk, pulled another file from the drawer, and pushed it toward Xu Wuyi.

"This is the current roster and files for the members of the fourth squad. Review it first, then report for duty in three days."

Xu Wuyi took the file and opened it. The first page contained the captain’s information. It was blank. Starting from the second page were the squad members’ files.

There were five people in total.

Vice-Captain Zhou Bin, male, forty-three years old, level forty-five Innate Martial Artist. Specializes in Fist Technique. Originally from the military, transferred to the Inspection Department ten years ago. Completed forty-seven missions, sustained injuries nine times, and was awarded merits three times.

Member Fang Xiaoxiao, female, thirty-eight years old, level forty-two Innate Martial Artist. Specializes in assassination. Background unknown. Joined the Inspection Department six years ago. Completed thirty-two missions, sustained injuries five times, and was awarded merits twice.

Member Sun Jing, male, forty-one years old, level thirty-nine Martial Artist. Specializes in Saber Technique. Hails from a Noble Family. Voluntarily applied for transfer to the Inspection Department eight years ago due to internal clan strife. Completed thirty-six missions, sustained injuries seven times, and was awarded merits four times.

Member Li Zhaowen, male, thirty-five years old, level thirty-nine Martial Artist. Specializes in reconnaissance. Originally from the military intelligence department. Transferred to the Inspection Department four years ago. Completed twenty-one missions, sustained injuries three times, and was awarded merits once.

Member Chen Yunxuan, female, twenty-nine years old, level thirty-seven Martial Artist. Specializes in Swordsmanship. Background unknown. Joined the Inspection Department two years ago. Completed nine missions, sustained injuries twice, and was awarded zero merits.

Xu Wuyi flipped through the pages one by one, committing everyone’s information to memory.

Only after he finished reading did Feng Zhuohua continue, "The fourth squad is the youngest team in the field operations group. It has been established for the shortest time, and its mission completion rate is also the lowest. Since the death of the previous captain, the team’s morale has remained poor. When you get there, stabilize the situation first."

"Understood."

Feng Zhuohua nodded, checked the time, and stood up. "All right, let’s leave it at that. When you report to the Inspection Department in three days, someone will be there to receive you. Remember, from now on, your name is Meng Zhishou. You have no past and no future. You only have the present."

Xu Wuyi also stood up. He put away the black identity card and mask, then tucked the file into his backpack. "Got it. Thanks."

Feng Zhuohua waved his hand, saying nothing more. Nor did he ask why Xu Wuyi wanted to do this. He knew that at Xu Wuyi’s current level, every action he took wouldn’t be meaningless. It would solely be for the sake of his path of the Heart Image.