Chapter 86: Where Are My Merit Points?!

Qin Ye remained silent, aware that surveillance cameras were everywhere and unable to speak freely. He closed his eyes and sank into contemplation.

The current situation was exquisitely precarious.

The three great Lords of the Dao in the world of the living were holding back, likely out of fear—having been tempered by the Underworld for thousands of years, but never destroyed, their psychological scars ran deep. They were probably waiting for the most opportune moment. After all, the longer they waited, only more wandering spirits would accumulate. They were in no hurry.

But to suppress the three Lords of the Dao, the existence of the Underworld was essential—he had realized this as well. Once the Underworld was established, countless spirits would have a place to enter the nether realm, which meant stripping the Lords of the Dao of their leverage against the world of the living. If wandering spirits no longer returned to the Dao Lords, then as understanding of the spirits deepened, the living world would ultimately gain the upper hand.

When the three Lords of the Dao noticed this shift, they would certainly seize the opportunity to eradicate the newly founded Underworld before it could take root. In terms of hatred toward the Underworld, even the living world would have to stand aside.

This led to the conclusion that the safest place for the new Underworld to establish itself was, for now, Bao’an.

And now, another reason had emerged.

At the very least... he could use the residual energy of Kuafu to construct parts of the Underworld, starting with the corners and edges...

Just then, with a clatter, the door suddenly opened and a young officer stepped inside, saluting: “Mr. Qin, please follow me.”

Qin Ye followed him. The officer led him straight to the entrance, where the others stood as though burdened by an eight-million debt. Before them stood Zhou Xianlong.

“You’re quite capable, aren’t you?” Zhou Xianlong looked at them with obvious irritation, gritting his teeth. “Can’t you develop some sense of restraint? You’re pillars of the organization now, yet you sneak around like underlings?”

No one dared retort as the boss lectured them; all bowed their heads meekly.

“SRC has been around for decades, and not a single person has ever pinpointed their exact location. Yet you managed it on your first joint operation... If word gets out, people will die laughing!”

“Every single one of you is about to become educators! The first batch of trainees from all over the country will arrive in a few months. Now you ignore orders, enter unauthorized areas—what, you feel aggrieved?”

“Chief... We really didn’t know...” Lin Han coughed, desperately defending himself for survival. “If you’d marked it, we wouldn’t have dared approach...”

“Heh...” Zhou Xianlong barely restrained his urge to slap them all into the ground, sneering coldly. “You want secrets to be labeled? Fine, since you’re so cheeky, I’ve chosen your punishment.”

Qin Ye suddenly had a bad feeling.

“Flame Team and S9527, your merit points are docked for a month. Additionally...” His lips curled into a smirk, “You managed to discover SRC’s existence—shows some talent, though you’re rather impulsive. Join the Combat Department for some tempering.”

The four members of Flame Team immediately looked as though mourning.

Zhou Xianlong paid no heed to their reactions, striding away after his pronouncement.

Qin Ye felt as if thunder had struck him.

“University of Cultivation... Is there a salary?” He looked in disbelief at the four equally despondent companions.

He’d never heard of such a thing!

Why wasn’t such important and urgent news announced to everyone?

“What’s wrong with you all?” He nudged Lin Han with his elbow. “I’m just moderately shocked—why do you all look like late-stage Parkinson’s patients?”

“How could we not?” Lin Han’s eyes conveyed a desire to hang himself. “The Combat Department... Do you know who the director is?”

Qin Ye blinked and shook his head.

“It’s Zhou the Skinflint!” Lin Han gritted his teeth. “Why would a deputy chief investigator take up the role of director of the Combat Department? And let me tell you, the Combat Department is the most dangerous part of the University of Cultivation! Have you seen the curriculum? One semester is five months—two and a half months of theory, three months of practical combat!”

“Practical combat means being assigned to provinces and cities to deal with all sorts of monstrous spirits!”

Qin Ye was baffled. “Shouldn’t it be us handling the spirits? Each city only has two zones for soul capturing and hunting—except for Bao’an. You’ve got to clarify the main and secondary roles.”

Lin Han sneered, “What if you don’t have merit points? The school counts credits! Even as mentors, it’s about professional titles, my friend!”

Qin Ye stopped laughing at once.

“If the main targets are troublesome, rookie students who haven’t even become underlings yet, and you have to protect them for three months straight?”

Qin Ye’s expression instantly echoed Lin Han’s desire for a rope.

Nothing could be more exasperating...

“So... From the moment I enter the university, merit points and I part ways?” He forced a smile through his muscle spasms.

This heartbreak couldn’t be more real...

“There are some, once you get a title. Think about it—such a relaxed environment, government resources for cultivation, and you still want merit points?”

With the five of them feeling suicidal, they said little more and went their separate ways.

Back at the hotel, Wang Chenghao was still gaming. Qin Ye was about to greet him when he caught sight of Qin Ye’s dark, stormy face.

“What... happened to you?”

“Don’t... don’t talk to me. I just want some peace right now...” Qin Ye kicked the aggrieved Wang Chenghao back to his room and collapsed under the covers.

“Hey, aren’t you a bit too indifferent to the Special Investigation Division and the University of Cultivation?” Arthas rolled out. “You’re about to start pre-job training—shouldn’t you pay a bit more attention?”

“Oh.” Qin Ye pulled out his phone and... quickly bypassed the “Slash” app, heading straight for Momo.

“...Can I assume you clicked the wrong app?”

“...What do you know? I’m gathering information from conversations. Government reports are good for a glance, but who knows how much is true?” As he entered Momo, Qin Ye swiftly scanned through photos of goddesses. Suddenly, his eyes lit up—a girl with flowing hair and a round, exquisite face appeared in the photos.

His bad mood vanished in an instant. As he was about to send a greeting, Arthas nodded approvingly, “Nicely done. The future King of the Underworld needs a few concubines. This woman is quite attractive.”

“Can you stop invading others’ privacy?! I’m a Leo!” Qin Ye angrily tried to toss Arthas aside, but Arthas said with perfect timing, “I just watched her drama a few days ago—something called ‘Story of Yanxi Palace,’ I think?”

Damn it!

He knew Arthas never brought good news!

Arthas twisted the knife, “She played the Empress, didn’t she? The tragic one.”

Qin Ye quietly scrolled past the girl’s photo. Even stolen pictures are cursed!

“There’s really no need to linger over these ordinary mortals. Think about it—once the Underworld is built, they’ll all end up there after death. Want any of them? No problem. Let me tell you a little secret: my previous boss had a close ‘personal relationship’ with Chen Yuanyuan... What’s that look? I wouldn’t lie to you! Chen Yuanyuan—the one who ‘raised his banner in anger for a beauty.’”

Qin Ye stared at Arthas as if he’d seen a ghost. Compared to him, his own heart was merely dark—Arthas was pitch-black, shining with oily brilliance...

“Wait... Is that even possible?” He asked hopefully, “So... the famous ones—Mi, Ying, Yan, Bing, Ba... Are they really... cough, I mean, are they actually considered?”

“Though I don’t know who you’re talking about, your toad longing for a swan expression... Fine, pretend I never said anything... Put the pillow down. Cough, once the Underworld is built, where else would they go after death?”

Qin Ye suddenly felt motivated.

“So, you should familiarize yourself with the Special Investigation Division and the University of Cultivation. Strive to infiltrate SRC, dig through to Kuafu’s tunnel...”

“I know, I’ll get right on it!” Qin Ye had already opened the Slash app, reading with keen interest.

Who would have thought... Even a grand mage like him would have days like this!

Arthas, watching as Qin Ye closed Momo, revealed a deep and mysterious smile from within the Soul-Sealing Sphere.

Lazy, are you?

I have a thousand and one ways to motivate you!

“Yes... They’ll certainly go there after death, but unless you want them dead now, you’ll have to wait for them to die of old age—and by then, you’ll be waiting with white hair and wrinkled skin... Hehehe... Hahahaha!”

Qin Ye, oblivious to Arthas’s scheming, had already entered the information section.

His mind calmed. He knew he lacked knowledge about the Special Investigation Division and the soon-to-be-established University of Cultivation. Now that he understood the greatest current threat facing the living world, learning more about the Special Investigation Division would make him better prepared.

There were no frivolous posts here; random posts would get your account locked. Only one after another, red-highlighted, high-quality threads.

The first one stood out: “All incidents in Huaguo to date with over a hundred casualties, E-level or above.”

Qin Ye skipped this section; it was useless now since Bao’an City was strictly off-limits. Even if there were rewards, was he supposed to go out and hunt these spirits?

He clicked on the second thread.

Administrative structure of the Special Investigation Division.

“The Special Investigation Division was established over fifty years ago. Headquarters in Yanjing; two chief investigators.”

“Underneath are the Adjudication Department—responsible for investigating all investigators’ actions, with authority for on-the-spot arrests. The platform connects with the public security system at deputy police commissioner level and above, brigade-level military units, and battalion-level armed police units. In cases of conflicting authority, the Special Investigation Division always takes precedence.”

“The Finance Department—responsible for liaising with major companies and central authorities.”

“The Administration Department—responsible for development strategy, reviewing supernatural incidents in various regions, coordinating families, distribution of investigation branches, and recruiting independent practitioners. Connects with major municipal leaders and above. In cases of conflicting authority, the Special Investigation Division takes priority.”

“The Operations Department—responsible for issuing tasks and assigning personnel. Connects with major municipal leaders and above. In cases of conflicting authority, the Special Investigation Division takes priority.”

...

A total of six departments formed the overall structure of the Special Investigation Division.