Chapter 460 - 235: The Grand Opening of the Disaster Prevention Bureau

Chapter 460: Chapter 235: The Grand Opening of the Disaster Prevention Bureau

The Red King entered, surrounded by his entourage, as if he were coming home. This had been one of the Red King’s properties in the past; it had merely been given a new name.

The crowd watched the spectacle for a while before dispersing. A man with a limp stood guard at the entrance of the Disaster Prevention Bureau. He was neatly dressed and had a wide grin on his face. After a moment, Qing Shisan came out and handed the man a small copper mirror shaped like a jade pendant. The single character "Can" was carved on its back.

One after another, all sorts of people stepped directly into the Disaster Prevention Bureau. Most were former members of Ye Weiyang. Some were disabled, while others wore stern expressions, constantly glancing around with a paranoid look. These were the current members of the Secret Ministry.

The dozing man with the limp seemed to have a knack for sizing people up. When former members of Ye Weiyang arrived, he didn’t even bother to open his eyes. But when the occasional commoner, unaware that Heaven on Earth had closed, tried to enter looking for some fun, the man would open his eyes, grin, and point to the new plaque above. He’d say in a raspy voice, "Open your eyes. This is the Red King’s territory now," and send them away.

Around noon on opening day, a Wandering traveler passed by and tossed the man with the limp two steaming hot buns, which he accepted with a beaming smile. After he ate, during the sweltering heat of the afternoon, a woman and two men arrived together.

The woman had a voluptuous figure and wore a thin veil. Her almond-shaped eyes were bright and dewy, practically overflowing with allure.

Of the two men, the older one had messy stubble and a haggard expression. The other, a youth dressed as a Scholar, was brimming with vigor.

The trio paused at the entrance for a moment. The young man looked up, staring blankly at the three words on the sign: "Disaster Prevention Bureau."

Just then, the sound of hooves came from the street as a carriage with "Zheng’s Cloth Shop" written on its side pulled up in a hurry. Several tailors carrying boxes walked straight inside.

"Huh? Young Brother Xie, Sister Bi Shui? You’re here too?"

Gold Medal Tailor Xi’er stepped down from the carriage. Seeing the trio standing there, she recognized them and went over to greet them.

Aunt Bi Shui, a woman in her prime, turned to look. Seeing it was Yue Yan, she smiled beneath her veil. "So it’s Yue Yan."

"Pah!" Xi’er waved a hand dismissively. "What ’Yue Yan’? That’s ancient history! Call me Xi’er. Prince Zheng’s Tailor Xi’er!"

After so many years undercover in Ye Weiyang, Xi’er was finally on top, and her delight was plain to see. She gestured for Bi Shui not to call her by her old name, then glanced at the last man, the one with the haggard expression. She studied him for a moment, then recognized him with some surprise. "567?"

The man called "567" was slightly taken aback. "Yue... AHEM, Lord Xi, you remember me?"

"The ’Mourner’! Of course, I remember." ’I’m not about to tell them my years undercover weren’t for nothing,’ Xi’er thought with a smile. She grabbed Bi Shui and started pulling her inside. "Come on, come on! Sister, you’re exactly the kind of talent our Prince has been looking for. Don’t you worry. The Prince is different from the old Night Lord. He loves to recruit talented people. With your rare skills as a ’Spirit Binder,’ the Prince will definitely treat you well. You can rest assured."

She knew Bi Shui. In the past, Bi Shui had rarely taken on missions. After becoming a "Constellation," she lost any ambition to climb higher, content with her position. She was mostly responsible for dispelling the Magic of Miracle Masters.

In her own words: it was better to spend less time working hard and more time finding a good man.

Xi’er pulled Bi Shui along and called back to 567, "You haven’t had much work lately, right? Makes sense. Not many people in the Mourner business these days. But don’t you worry. The rarer the Path, the more our Prince likes it. Come on, let’s go in together."

was taken aback but quickly agreed. Xi’er saw the melancholy and unfulfilled ambition in his heart. Her words seemed to strike a chord, and for a moment, 567 felt like he had met a kindred spirit and had the sudden urge to burst into tears.

Leading Bi Shui and the former Night Guard 567 inside, Aunt Bi Shui held Xi’er’s hand and asked curiously what was in the boxes that were carried in earlier. Xi’er just said mysteriously, "You’ll find out soon enough."

"Hey? What about me? What about me? Me? Me?"

Mo Kuang—the Scholar who had just said goodbye to his "Constellation Dou Xie" title, been vigorously promoted to "Lower Six," and hadn’t even had a chance to go on a mission yet—was completely dumbfounded when he saw Xi’er ignore him completely. He pointed at his own face.

Xi’er, 567, and Aunt Bi Shui went inside.

Leaving Mo Kuang alone, a complete mess in the wind.

The man with the limp took pity on him. Having just finished his buns, he casually wiped his greasy hands on his trouser leg, leaving oily streaks. He looked the young man up and down for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"So-so."

The young man froze.

Then, the man with the limp pursed his lips. "Barely passable."

With that, he pointed at the door. "Go on in."

Mo Kuang, feeling like he was about to cry, hurried to catch up.

Once inside the Disaster Prevention Bureau, he soon saw a sign standing at a fork in the corridor. It read: New recruits for the Dawn Department, please report to the Red King’s office first to register on the roster. A note in parentheses followed: (The Red King’s office is located in the former "Blossoming Double Flower Room.")

Aunt Bi Shui scoffed softly and muttered, "Some ’Blossoming Double Flower’..."

Mo Kuang caught up, saw the sign, and was dumbfounded. "What’s a ’Blossoming Double Flower’?"

"This way." 567 turned left, obviously knowing the way.

Xi’er pursed her lips, looking at 567’s back as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

A moment later, they heard whispers coming from up ahead. A long line had formed.

"We have to wait in line?"

Mo Kuang was dumbfounded.

"Well, you all wait here, then. No rush. It’s the first day, so there are tons of people joining the Dawn Department." Xi’er waved to Bi Shui. "I still have a lot of clothes to make, so I’m heading back to the shop."

"Oh, right, Sister Bi Shui," Xi’er secretly glanced at Aunt Bi Shui’s upper body, then whispered, "If you find that your new clothes don’t fit well, come find me at the cloth shop anytime."