Chapter 263 - 262: This Person is Dangerous

Chapter 263: Chapter 262: This Person is Dangerous

Upon entering the main building, Gu Qingyin finally saw some familiar faces: Liu Ergou and Miao Yan.

She was pleasantly surprised. Even without her introducing them, the two had still gotten to know each other, and they seemed to be on good terms.

The two people across the room, who were in the middle of a commission, sensed their arrival and looked over. A flash of surprise crossed their eyes—this group was certainly intriguing.

Gu Qingyin smiled and nodded at them, then continued into the elevator without breaking her stride.

"Who’s the chairman?" Gu Qingyin asked curiously.

Zhang Qiuyan replied softly, "It’s Chairman Miao."

So it was Elder Miao. Gu Qingyin wasn’t too surprised. She casually asked, "Is there a Heavenly Master in the association named Tuoba Yan?"

Zhang Qiuyan thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head. "I don’t recall anyone by that name."

’So he isn’t here,’ Gu Qingyin mused. ’I never would’ve thought that the flap of a butterfly’s wings could erase Tuoba Yan from existence entirely.’

The chairman’s office was also on the top floor, but its decor was very plain—it looked much more normal.

’Now this is the kind of aesthetic a normal person should have!’

Zhang Qiuyan knocked on the door. After a rather stern voice answered from within, they opened it and went inside.

As she entered, Gu Qingyin sized up Chairman Miao. His change in status had indeed brought a change in his aura. Compared to the relaxed and easygoing Elder Miao she remembered, this Chairman Miao was more composed and reserved, exuding a sense of authority.

"Chairman Miao," Zhang Qiuyan said, making the introductions. "These are the two I mentioned to you before: Gu Qingyin and Huo Yunjing."

Chairman Miao nodded at Gu Qingyin, then his gaze fixed on Huo Yunjing. "The resemblance is uncanny."

Huo Yunjing inclined his head and got straight to the point. "What’s the assessment?"

"It’s simple," said Chairman Miao. "You just need to complete a written test and then summon a ghost."

For a Heavenly Master, summoning a ghost was the most fundamental skill. The time it took and the method used were enough to gauge their approximate strength.

"What kind of written test?" Gu Qingyin asked, a little curious.

"It’s about the professional code of conduct," Chairman Miao said. "Even though you’re from a different spacetime, the Heavenly Master code should be more or less the same."

Gu Qingyin understood. It was a simple test of a Heavenly Master’s moral baseline.

But in reality, it was just a formality. If a truly corrupt Heavenly Master wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn’t bother getting a certificate in the first place, as they wouldn’t have any respect for the Heavenly Master Association to begin with.

The assessment took place in the room next to the chairman’s office. The written test was rather long, spanning four full pages.

Gu Qingyin and Huo Yunjing sat at opposite ends of the conference room. Chairman Miao proctored the exam himself to prevent any possibility of cheating, making the whole affair quite strict.

The time flew by. In less than an hour, Gu Qingyin put down her pen. When she looked up, she saw that Huo Yunjing had also finished at some point and was now watching her with a bored expression.

"Finished already?" Chairman Miao’s expression relaxed. He collected their papers and began grading them on the spot.

Gu Qingyin’s paper was fine. Although Chairman Miao’s expression turned incredulous from time to time as he read, he couldn’t find any major faults with her answers.

However, when he moved on to Huo Yunjing’s paper, Chairman Miao’s brow furrowed and never relaxed; the crease between his eyes only deepened.

’Are these the answers of a Heavenly Master? He got even the most basic rules wrong! Is this Huo Yunjing really a Heavenly Master?’

Chairman Miao’s gaze darkened. He put the paper down and stood up. "I’m sorry, Mr. Huo has not passed the assessment."

Gu Qingyin was surprised. She glanced at the impassive Huo Yunjing before snatching his paper to read it.

Question: During a commission, if a Heavenly Master discovers that an Evil Ghost is seeking revenge, should they continue to protect the client?

Huo Yunjing’s answer: No. Karma is cyclical; a Heavenly Master should not interfere. In appropriate circumstances, one may even offer the Evil Ghost assistance.

A vein throbbed on Gu Qingyin’s forehead. ’Even though I’d probably do something similar in that situation, we’re taking a test right now! Couldn’t he have just written the standard answer?!’

Huo Yunjing walked over to her side and saw the question, along with the huge red X marked beside it. He couldn’t help but frown.

"What’s wrong with it?"

Chairman Miao’s face went dark. "During a commission, a Heavenly Master must do everything in their power to protect the client and exorcise the Evil Ghost. After the commission is complete, they can report the matter to the police to seek justice for the ghost soul."

Huo Yunjing disagreed. "If the ghost has already been exorcised, who is there to see justice done for?"

Chairman Miao was so angry his voice trembled. "You... You are simply being unreasonable!"

Huo Yunjing’s gaze darkened as he turned to face Chairman Miao.

Sensing things were about to go south, Gu Qingyin quickly stepped between them, forcing a laugh. "To be honest with you, Yun Jing wasn’t actually a Heavenly Master before this. He’s never had any formal training and tends to act on a whim, but please, rest assured, I’ll keep an eye on him."

Chairman Miao snorted coldly at her words but didn’t press the issue. Judging from her test results, he was relatively assured of Gu Qingyin’s character.

"Let’s move on to the next part of the assessment."

The practical test was much simpler. Gu Qingyin passed just by briefly demonstrating the Thunder Decision.

By the time she came out of the conference room, Gu Qingyin already had her temporary certificate. It was a cyan badge, similar to the one from the Huo Family.

Zhang Qiuyan, who was waiting outside, saw the badge and congratulated her with a smile. But when she turned and noticed Huo Yunjing wasn’t wearing one, she instinctively reminded him, "It’s best to wear your badge while you’re in the association’s building."

Huo Yunjing remained silent, but Chairman Miao let out another cold snort.

Zhang Qiuyan was completely baffled, looking at the three of them in confusion.

Gu Qingyin gave an awkward laugh. "There was a small incident. He didn’t pass the assessment."

Huh? Zhang Qiuyan grew even more confused. ’The assessment was so simple. What kind of incident could have possibly caused him to fail?’

Chairman Miao politely walked Gu Qingyin to the elevator, ignoring Huo Yunjing completely the entire time.

Zhang Qiuyan blinked, her curiosity now piqued even further. She furtively pulled out her phone and sent a message to Gu Qingyin, asking what had happened.

Gu Qingyin was speechless after reading the message. ’She seems like such an ethereal beauty, so how can she be this nosy? It completely ruins her image!’

After returning to his office, the more Chairman Miao thought about the situation, the more uneasy he felt. He picked up his phone and called Master Huo.

"Master Huo, if you aren’t too busy, I’d like to ask you for a favor."

Master Huo paused for a moment before asking, "What is it?"

Chairman Miao sighed heavily. "Huo Yunjing came in today to get a temporary Heavenly Master Certificate, and his performance on the basic test was a complete disaster. I’m afraid he’s going to cause trouble. I need you to keep an eye on him."

Master Huo instinctively recoiled. "Why me?"

Chairman Miao laid out his reasoning. "Compared to anyone else, you should understand him best. Besides, his power is an unknown quantity. I’ll only feel at ease entrusting this matter to you."

’Of course, the most important reason is that Master Huo was the one who brought him here in the first place. He’s another version of him from a parallel spacetime. If he isn’t responsible for him, who is?’

Master Huo was silent for a moment. "Understood," he finally replied.

Chairman Miao was instantly delighted. "Then I’ll be counting on you, Master Huo."

And so, just as Gu Qingyin was leaving the Heavenly Master Association, she received a call from Master Huo.

Master Huo said, "Stay right where you are. I’m coming to find you now."

Gu Qingyin: ???