Zhao Kongcheng frowned, feeling something was off, as if his lines had been stolen.
"Ahem… Not bad. About half as cool as me," Zhao Kongcheng said, eyeing the two youths. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Zhao Kongcheng."
"You, come with me," he said, pointing at Lin Qiye, then turned to Gu Tianchen. "You, go with him."
Zhao Kongcheng gestured at another man in a dark red cloak who had just arrived.
Gu Tianchen glanced at the newcomer. Like Zhao Kongcheng, he wore the standard Night Watchman cloak, but his expression was stern, almost rigid.
The captain of Team 136, Chen Muye, was chasing the Ghost-Faced King, and the other members were younger. This man kept his hand hidden under his cloak, subtly concealing something.
His identity was obvious: Wu Xiangnan, vice-captain of Team 136.
"What about him?" Gu Tianchen pointed at the unconscious Li Yifei.
"Don't worry, someone will take him home," Wu Xiangnan said.
Zhao Kongcheng left with Lin Qiye, while Wu Xiangnan led Gu Tianchen to a secluded rooftop.
"I'm Wu Xiangnan, vice-captain of Night Watchman Team 136."
Wu Xiangnan briefly explained the Night Watchman organization, then asked, "That crimson silhouette with a divine aura earlier… which god was it?"
"He said his name was Zhurong," Gu Tianchen answered earnestly.
Wu Xiangnan's eyes widened. "Fire God Zhurong?! A Great Xia deity?!"
In the century since the Mist appeared, gods from various pantheons had emerged worldwide, but Great Xia's deities had remained absent.
Speculation abounded about whether Great Xia's pantheon even existed or where they might be.
Yet now, this youth bore the aura of a Great Xia deity—a monumental boon for a nation constantly threatened by Outer Gods!
"Did he tell you where he is? Does he know the whereabouts of other Great Xia deities?" Wu Xiangnan asked eagerly.
"I know you're anxious, but please calm down. That lord is currently trapped in an unknown space and can't emerge. He tasked me with finding nine different flames to manifest in the world," Gu Tianchen said.
"For now, I've only met Fire God Zhurong. He doesn't know where the other Great Xia deities are."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Wu Xiangnan's eyes.
Though Zhurong, as an ancient Fire God, was immensely powerful, a lone tiger couldn't fend off a pack of wolves. The Outer Gods eyeing Great Xia were no pushovers.
If Zhurong could lead them to other Great Xia deities, it would be a lifeline for Great Xia's dire situation.
But since they had news of Zhurong, the other Great Xia deities couldn't be far off, could they?
"Fire God Zhurong chose you as his agent? His only instruction is to collect nine different flames? That simple?" Wu Xiangnan asked.
"Fire God's agent? Sounds pretty prestigious, but I think Pangu's agent suits me better… And collecting nine flames isn't as easy as you think, is it?" Gu Tianchen said, looking at Wu Xiangnan.
"Is it hard?"
Click!
Wu Xiangnan pulled out a lighter, flicked it on, and a small flame sprang up.
Gu Tianchen: (ー_ー)!!
"You think you're funny?"
"Ahem… This doesn't count?" Wu Xiangnan awkwardly pocketed the lighter.
"He's an ancient Fire God, for crying out loud. Ordinary flames won't cut it," Gu Tianchen said, exasperated.
"Fair enough. How well can you use your Forbidden Ruin now?" Wu Xiangnan pressed.
"You mean this?"
Gu Tianchen raised his middle finger, and a purple-red flame flared up.
The moment the Dutian Divine Fire appeared, the surrounding temperature spiked. The terrifying divine majesty within made Wu Xiangnan feel a tremor from the depths of his soul, as if a flame beast capable of melting all creation lurked within.
But that gesture…
Wu Xiangnan suppressed the urge to curse, pulling out a notebook to diligently record Gu Tianchen's abilities.
"Besides manipulating flames, what else can your Forbidden Ruin do?"
"It can create a flame avatar to fight alongside me and allow rebirth through a flame, but each flame can only be used for rebirth once," Gu Tianchen answered honestly.
"You can rebirth too?" Wu Xiangnan's eyes flashed with surprise.
Gu Tianchen asked knowingly, "Why'd you say 'too'?"
"Oh, nothing. I have a friend whose Forbidden Ruin is rebirth," Wu Xiangnan explained.
Gu Tianchen saw through the lie but didn't call it out. The "friend" Wu Xiangnan mentioned was himself.
A former member of Team 005, Blue Rain Squad, with Forbidden Ruin Sequence 233: Rebirth.
Known as the Immortal Swordsman, Wu Xiangnan's hand was wounded by Susanoo's Ame-no-Murakumo sword. Even rebirth couldn't heal it, leaving him unable to wield a sword for life.
Wu Xiangnan meticulously noted Gu Tianchen's current Forbidden Ruin abilities.
The terrifying, scorching divine flame, the ability to create flame avatars, and the power of rebirth through fire—combined with being the sole agent of a Great Xia deity—made this youth seem tailor-made for the Night Watchmen. He had to be recruited into their ranks.
If the Ancient God Church, that pack of scoundrels, set their sights on him, he could become a calamity instead.
"Interested in joining the Night Watchmen?" Wu Xiangnan asked tentatively.
To collect nine different flames, Gu Tianchen would need to constantly engage with the supernatural. Joining the Night Watchmen was his best option.
After all, his current strength was still weak. If he didn't join and caught the attention of the Ancient God Church's riffraff, it would spell trouble.
"Sure, but I have one condition."
"What's that?"
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle~
Gu Tianchen's stomach protested loudly.
"Uh… could we discuss this over food?"
"Let's go."
…
Cangnan City, Peace Bridge, Peace Agency.
The members of Team 136 stared, dumbstruck, as Gu Tianchen devoured food like he hadn't eaten in weeks, a small mountain of empty bowls piling up beside him.
Hongying, with her refined features and curvaceous figure, glanced at Wu Xiangnan and whispered, "You're sure this glutton is a divine agent?"
Nearby, the petite, sweet-faced Si Xiaonan, wearing black-rimmed glasses, was tending to Hongying's wounds.
Wen Qimo, with a gentle smile and warm eyes, placed a steaming bowl of noodles in front of Gu Tianchen.
"Ahem… Vice-Captain, we're out of rations. This kid alone has eaten nearly three days' worth of our team's food," Wen Qimo whispered.
Wu Xiangnan frowned. "Where's the Captain?"
"Still chasing the Ghost-Faced King with Leng Xuan."
"Hic!"
Gu Tianchen let out a satisfied burp, his hunger mostly sated.
Using the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art was incredibly taxing on his stamina.
"Classmate Gu Tianchen, can we discuss your condition for joining the Night Watchmen?" Wu Xiangnan asked.
"My condition is simple. I want her," Gu Tianchen said, pointing at Hongying.
Hongying, who was flexing her arm, blinked in confusion and pointed at herself. "Me?"
***
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