Chapter 120: The Three Academic Elders of SRC

An answer immediately surfaced in Qin Ye’s mind, yet despite his lips moving several times, he found himself unable to voice it.

The Ghost Gate Pass, the Judge of the Dead...

Once the Ghost Gate Pass was occupied, it would be bolstered by the laws of the entire New Underworld. The stronger the entity, the more effectively it could suppress the rioting spirits. Although Su Dongxue was merely at the Ghost Runner level, the existence of her mimicry meant that it was effectively another Soul Arrester holding down the fort at the Ghost Gate Pass.

However...

Having a courtesan who was so "happy" she’d forget to collect payment serve as the Judge of the Dead... wouldn’t his own spirits be drained until they were nothing but dry husks? No... and what about the dignity of the New Underworld?

"Are you sure?" Qin Ye asked Arthis, feeling uncertain.

"I am sure. Or would you prefer to go back and finish off Comrade Xiao Wang? If you can’t bring yourself to do that, she is currently the best candidate," Arthis replied coolly. "The Underworld has just been re-established; all spirits in the vicinity that can sense it will swarm here like a tidal wave. Do you realize... you’ve only been gone for a single day, and there are already at least one or two thousand spirits. Are you planning on making a trip to the Underworld every single night?"

She cast a light glance at Qin Ye. "Look at the dark circles under your eyes today. Are you planning on giving up sleep entirely?"

Qin Ye sighed; this was precisely what gave him the biggest headache.

Humans... no, ghosts!

Clearing the forest required labor, future construction would require labor, and the Judge of the Dead would need hundreds of staff—everywhere he looked, there was a need for people! And yet, he couldn’t trust a single one of them!

Arthis watched the pensive Qin Ye, her lips parting as if to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

There were some things that couldn’t be taught. The art of governance, especially as a Yama, involved far more than anything in the world of the living. The living world had 1.5 billion people, but the Underworld could eventually reach tens of billions! If he had to be taught every little thing... the Underworld would fall into chaos sooner or later.

"Tonight, come with me to the Underworld. You can consider yourself lucky," Qin Ye said to Su Dongxue. "Find something to attach yourself to for now."

Su Dongxue nodded obediently, then...

She transformed into a wisp of ghostly wind and flew toward Qin Ye’s belt.

"What the hell... Can you show some restraint! Get out!"

"My Lord... this humble one is already being very restrained... It’s warm and cozy in here, and after all, this humble one hasn't absorbed any Yang energy for a hundred years..."

"...Stop trying to crawl inside! Careful, or I’ll have you scattered to the winds!" Qin Ye gritted his teeth, tugging at his belt.

Su Dongxue flew out, looking aggrieved. It had to be said, she was truly a beauty. When she furrowed her brows ever so slightly, it was as if a spring scene had been stirred into a tangle, and those autumn-water eyes seemed filled with tender affection.

"My Lord... if it weren't large enough and if the Yang energy weren't sufficiently potent, this humble one wouldn't try to go inside..." she said softly, sounding both pouty and resentful.

Qin Ye rolled his eyes at the heavens, picked up Song Jiafang’s memorial portrait, pointed at it, and said with a dark face, "Get in there!"

"Stingy," Su Dongxue whispered. Pouting slightly, she turned back into a ghostly wind and flew into the frame.

Carrying the frame, he climbed out from the bottom of the pit. As he emerged, he froze.

It was still the middle of the night, around four o'clock.

Twenty meters away, rows of police cars were parked, and dozens of officers stood at attention, watching him. Isolation tape had completely cordoned off the collapsed house. And right around the hole, seven people were gathered!

An elderly man with a full head of white hair stood at the front. Beside him stood three people in white lab coats, their chests adorned with prominent SRC badges. Behind them stood two investigators wearing the Special Investigation Office badges, and finally... Su Feng and Lin Han.

"S9527?" The old man stared at him with burning eyes and spoke first. "Is it... finished down there?"

Perhaps feeling his question wasn't comprehensive enough, he stared intently at Qin Ye, took a step forward, and added with a hint of urgency, "I’m asking if this hunting zone... has been resolved?"

***

Qin Ye’s mind raced, and the connections clicked into place.

He was a shrewd operator. He immediately guessed that his previous deduction was correct; the last thing Li Tao had said in the car was now confirmed.

"Fourth, there is a research team from a university in Daishan City currently collaborating with the SRC on a project. Actively interfering is considered an obstruction to scientific research."

With the three Dao Lords in a standoff against the world of the living, and both sides holding their fire, the living world naturally wanted to learn as much as possible about spirits. Since he had solved it, would there... be any special benefits?

"Yes," he replied with a smile, looking at the old man.

"Good lad." One of the figures in the lab coat looked at him deeply. "We’ve been studying this project for a full six months with little progress, not knowing where to start, and yet you’ve cracked it in a single night. You truly live up to your reputation as the expert who has slain nine major hunting zones."

Behind him, Su Feng and Lin Han’s eyes lit up.

At that moment, the portrait frame suddenly stirred, and Qin Ye squeezed the hand holding it tightly.

Su Dongxue fell into a reluctant silence.

"Excellent." The old man let out a long sigh of relief. "I wonder if you have time now? We would like to establish a file immediately with the complete details and some of your deductions."

"Now?" Qin Ye was quite dissatisfied. *You people... I’ve completed the mission; shouldn’t you mention a reward when I come up?*

If people didn't pursue profit, life would be meaningless... To come up here and demand a report without caring for his delicate physical state—was that appropriate?

What about human initiative?

"Yes," another lab coat added, sounding somewhat excited. "Dr. Yu’s research group is focused on the topic: 'On the Diversity of Spirits.' If successful, it will be of great help to the current situation. We finally managed to select this unique hunting zone. We are dying to hear the details!"

So, this was why... pure academics were the hardest to talk to. Couldn't they see the constipated expression on his face and notice a detail or two? What happened to the keen observation skills of cultivators?

Qin Ye looked troubled for a long time, but the others remained indifferent, their four burning gazes still fixed on him.

*Can't afford to offend them...* Qin Ye sighed inwardly, pondered for a few seconds, and then spoke: "I can, but... the spirit I fought below was very strange and full of uncertainty. I’ve sustained quite a few injuries myself..."

He paused perfectly for a second, coughed heavily several times, and said with a wheeze, "I’m still feeling a bit dizzy. If I could get some treatment... or receive some assistance, I’d be able to relay the information much more coherently..."

Su Feng and Lin Han’s mouths dropped open into O-shapes.

*Shameless!*

*Utterly shameless!*

Asking the SRC for a reward to their faces? Did he even know the weight of the SRC? That was the only independent department in China that could stand on equal footing with the Special Investigation Office!

"He’s a beast..." Lin Han whispered. "Holy crap... this kid dares to make demands of Elder Yu... This—this is him reaching out for a reward, right? It has to be, right? Does he even know who Elder Yu is?"

Su Feng was also dumbfounded, his lips moving several times before he said, "Damn it... I’m going to change the notes on this idiot as soon as I get back: 'Qin the Bold'..."

However, imagination was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Even with Qin Ye’s superb acting skills, Elder Yu and the others, who were supposed to play along, turned a blind eye.

Dr. Yu stepped forward, his gaze even more intense, and grabbed Qin Ye’s hand. "The spirit in this hunting zone was only at the Ghost Runner level. Are you saying that a Ghost Runner-level spirit managed to injure you? How were you injured? What exactly was so strange about it?"

"...Dr. Yu... I was saying..."

*Is the focus of your concern a little off?*

*I am the one! I am the one suffering here! What about the warmth between people?!*

***

"Mr. Qin, your information is vital to our project!" Dr. Yu took a deep breath and, without further ado, dragged Qin Ye toward the cars. "Once this project is completed, all of us will be eligible for a second-class merit. A second-class merit... grants four special rights. I hope to see your name on it."

*Oh?*

Qin Ye gently pulled his hand away, cleared his throat, and said with a solemn expression, "Rest assured, this is my duty!"

His voice was steady and firm.

"Is your health alright?" Dr. Yu seemed to have just remembered, and after taking two steps, he asked with concern.

"Always striving for the Four Modernizations! What are a few minor wounds compared to that!" Qin Ye replied righteously.

Dr. Yu adjusted his thick glasses and led the way toward the outside of the cordon.

"You’re a beast..." Lin Han and Su Feng hurried to catch up. Lin Han looked at him as if he were a ghost. "Do you know who he is? You dare negotiate with Elder Yu? Do you believe he could have you expelled from the First Cultivation University with a single phone call? If you lack character, how can you educate others? Understand?"

"What kind of status?" Qin Ye asked, stunned. "And why are you guys here again?"

"I knew you wouldn't check the messaging app." Su Feng rolled his eyes at him. "Open it and see for yourself."

Dr. Yu was already in the car, busy giving instructions to the others in lab coats, and several police officers began to enter the cave in an orderly fashion. Qin Ye glanced over and opened the app.

It had exploded.

The First Cultivation University’s first-session mentor group was on fire.

He scrolled through over a dozen pages before reaching the original message. It had actually been sent just ten minutes ago.

Zhou Xianlong: "Mentor S9527, first to complete the C-level difficulty mission 'Lost Tracks.' Awarded 20 teaching points. First to complete, difficulty level, five-point bonus."

"Mentor S9527, current total: 40 points. Ranked first on the leaderboard."

"Everyone, please work hard."

The chat below was already in an uproar!

It was four in the morning, yet these cultivators were popping up like flies, as if they didn't need sleep.

"Is this for real!? It’s only the first day, and we already have someone with forty points? S9527 is a bit too monstrous, isn't he!" — A5423.

"I... I finally managed to pick up a D-level mission and have no clue where to start, and someone’s already finished a C-level mission? I’m here kneeling while reading the group chat!" — B0769.

"Worshiping the big shot... The Combat Department is blessed. I wonder what kind of aptitude students get for recommending S9527. I have a bad feeling about the new semester teaching point rankings... Honestly, someone like this should be removed from the mentor pool! Get him into the Wuchang-level rankings!" — A6859.

"Quiet!" Zhou Xianlong enabled group muting. He then added: "Regarding C-level missions, the original expectation was fifteen days. Given that Mentor S9527 completed the mission far ahead of schedule, some conditions are now being lifted."

"First, for mentors who have received C-level missions, the 'first-place' score no longer exists."

"I reiterate: in two months, any mentor who has not reached 60 points should resign voluntarily. You are not fit to teach. And second..."

"Mentors who reach 90 points or more will enter the candidate sequence for the First Cultivation University’s outstanding mentors for the first half of the year."

"After the two months are up, Vice Principal Li will announce all benefits for every position at the First Cultivation University. Everyone... please be sure to seize this last opportunity. Time... is running out."