Chapter Forty-Two: The Demonic Prison

Wang Changshan, noticing the look Lin Yi cast his way, instantly panicked, shrieked out a few times, “Young Master Xu, wait for me!” and hurriedly made his escape.

Xu Lianyou performed decently, taking third place after the three rounds of testing. But since he left, his spot was forfeited.

The boy who had originally been in fourth place, the chubby Zhao Kaishan, looked crestfallen at first, but upon realizing what had happened, his plump face broke into a beaming smile. He had inexplicably moved from fourth to third place! His round face blossomed like a chrysanthemum, and Zhao Kaishan began swearing allegiance to Lin Yi.

“Chief Lin is like the sky, the goddesses An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing are the earth, and the rest of my colleagues are all my seniors. But Brother Lin, you are my true leader. From now on, I’ll follow wherever you lead!”

Zhao Kaishan’s passionate declaration had the whole crowd in stitches, dispelling the tense and prickly atmosphere from before.

Many silently cursed—what, does Zhao Kaishan think he’s the only one who knows how to flatter? Can’t he see everyone else here, too?

The precocious Song Ziyang was the first to step up with his trademark innocent smile. “Brother Lin Yi, from now on, I’m your little sidekick. Brother Lin Yi, you are my electricity, my light, my legend.”

On the other side, the so-called “She-Dragon” refused to be outdone. In a few strides, she was in front of Lin Yi, flexing her biceps. “Big Brother Lin Yi, if anyone dares to cross you, I’ll beat them up for you!”

In the past, any intern who made it through the tests would be scrambling to find a powerful backer among the official staff and leaders of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau, currying favor left and right. Now, everyone’s tune had changed—they all flocked to Lin Yi, fawning over him with the utmost enthusiasm.

As for Tu Honglie, who by rights should have claimed the third spot, he was completely ignored, left slumped on the ground, pushed into a corner. His eyes burned red as he took in the scene around him.

Lin Yi laughed heartily, agreeing cheerfully and clasping his fists to those around him from the Bureau. Earlier, while everyone had tried to recruit Lin Yi, a certain familiarity had been forged. Especially with An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing, Lin Yi kept expressing his gratitude toward them.

At last, Lin Yi strode up to Director Lin Tianming. “Director, thank you for speaking up for me. I never imagined the Paranormal Investigation Bureau would feel more like home than my own family. From now on, the organization is my home. Director Lin, you’re the head of this family. I hope that, under your leadership, our Shengjing Branch can reach even greater heights!”

Lin Yi patted his own chest in a gesture of solemn dedication.

Lin Tianming burst out laughing. “You’re quite the character, aren’t you? Well, since the results are in, you are the undisputed first place, and Zhao Kaishan has taken over Xu Lianyou’s third spot. So, the three of you will be rewarded.”

At this, An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing both vied to snatch a body-forging training pill from the chubby official’s hands to present to Lin Yi. Mu Yuqing, bolder and more cunning, edged closer to An Miaoyi, causing her to recoil a step, and thus secured the pill.

Mu Yuqing, eager to claim credit, said to Lin Yi, “Congratulations, Lin Yi. This pill is called the Tiger Burst Pill, reserved for first-class A-rank martial artists. A hero deserves a worthy gift. I’m presenting it to you on behalf of the Bureau.”

Lin Yi accepted the pill with a smile, thanking her again.

Mu Yuqing replied sweetly, “Come now, there’s no need to be so formal. My grandfather is your master now, so by seniority, you outrank me—Uncle Lin.”

“…,” Lin Yi almost wanted to cry. With his status suddenly elevated, how was he supposed to flirt with the beauty before him now?

An Miaoyi’s face turned frosty as she glared at Mu Yuqing, inwardly cursing her shamelessness. Others in the Paranormal Investigation Bureau felt the same—no one could match Mu Yuqing for sheer brazenness. It seemed inevitable that Lin Yi would end up part of the Mu family’s faction within the Bureau.

Meanwhile, She-Dragon and Zhao Kaishan felt bitter, as if the world itself had dimmed—they had become invisible. When the chubby official presented them with their pills, they glanced around and realized that no one was even looking their way. They had expected at least a little envy, but were instead completely ignored. Was the gap between first and third really so vast?

At that moment, Song Ziyang approached. The two thought he was coming to offer congratulations, but instead he asked, “Do you know what the tallest mountain in the world is?”

Zhao Kaishan looked confused, but She-Dragon answered, “That’s easy—Mount Everest.”

Song Ziyang then asked, “What about the second tallest?”

In an instant, both She-Dragon and Zhao Kaishan understood. They glared at Song Ziyang in exasperation but eventually pocketed their pills, any excitement over their victory gone.

Returning to the main topic, it was now time for the most crucial part: choosing positions.

The Mu and An families each had their own action squads within the Bureau—simply named the Mu Family Action Squad and the An Family Action Squad. Besides these, there were several other squads directly managed by the Bureau. Both the An and Mu squads belonged to the Field Team division, but don’t be fooled by the name—these were fully equipped divisions with many different positions.

To win Lin Yi over, the An Family, Mu Family, and the Bureau’s own squad all offered top-tier positions: logistics section officers for the action squads. These roles were coveted, involving management of squad resources without the need to go out on missions or face supernatural dangers—truly cushy jobs. Most importantly, the logistics section paid more, with average monthly salaries exceeding fifty thousand. Authority, high pay, and no risk—nearly every squad was offering this.

Once all the positions were laid out, An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing each added that if Lin Yi joined, he could be promoted even further, earn over a hundred thousand per month, and get a free body-forging pill—not quite as good as the Tiger Burst Pill, but almost.

As for Zhao Kaishan and She-Dragon, they received only a Ginseng Pill and were offered much lower positions—just field team members, a rank below, with a monthly salary of just over twenty thousand.

The other candidates eyed Lin Yi with envy and jealousy; even many Bureau staff felt the same. Having just finished the test, Lin Yi was technically an intern leader—but in reality, wasn’t he already a leader? Everyone waited to see what he would decide.

Lin Yi didn’t care for logistics. He coughed, glanced at the expectant An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing, then looked at Lin Tianming.

“Director Lin, I noticed that on the first floor of the World Trade Center lobby, there are six seniors stationed by the stairs. May I ask what they’re guarding, and if I can join that department?”

His words caused an uproar.

Why not choose a leadership position—what was Lin Yi thinking?

Lin Tianming, surprised, nodded. After a moment, he replied, “You’ve got quite the eye. But Lin Yi, that job isn’t exactly a good one. It was meant for them—” he gestured toward Song Ziyang and the others, “—as interns. Actually, beneath the World Trade Center, there’s a base—the Paranormal Investigation Bureau’s Shengjing Branch’s Demon Prison.”

“The Demon Prison! It’s crawling with demons and vengeful spirits—horrific, bizarre creatures all locked up there. Some are even immortal, kept only because they can’t be killed!”

“Although your abilities are strong, Lin Yi, staying there for too long isn’t good. The place is saturated with ominous energy, which shortens lifespans over time. Are you sure you want to go there?”

As Lin Tianming spoke, An Miaoyi, Mu Yuqing, and the others involuntarily shivered. Song Ziyang, She-Dragon, and company looked terrified. They realized that sending the weak into such a job was basically sending them to die. That prison, holding all manner of supernatural threats, was so saturated with ill fortune that even the staff would be doomed if they stayed too long.

Who would have thought that beneath the World Trade Center, the Bureau ran such a place? No wonder the building was always cloaked in a chill, as if it sat atop the eighteenth level of hell itself.

A wave of cold sweat broke out on some backs.

Lin Tianming laughed. “No need to worry. Each floor of the underground prison is overseen by a grandmaster. If the ominous energy grows too strong, these masters will cleanse it from every staff member. Everyone, whether master or rookie, receives pills each month to dispel the ill fortune.”

“It is said that adversity breeds strength—many staff have advanced after being cleansed of the ominous energy. Of course, some have still perished, but your internship wouldn’t last more than a year, so nothing too serious should happen.”

“As staff of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau, you face supernatural threats daily. You must always have courage. If a few words are enough to frighten you, how will you confront monsters and ghosts? Your job may require catching or even slaying such creatures—will you refuse out of fear?”

“I must commend Comrade Lin Yi—just now, he slew both a Fiery Ghost and a Drowned Ghost, both A-rank specters, without breaking a sweat. That’s the kind of comrade the Bureau needs!”

A round of applause broke out, with Zhao Kaishan and others leading the way—having already flattered Lin Yi, they were eager to add to his glory.

Lin Yi’s excitement swelled. At last, he understood why he’d felt an inexplicable sense of kinship upon arriving at the World Trade Center lobby. So, the area guarded by those six old men was actually the prison for supernatural entities—the very heart of the Bureau’s operations.

This was truly a case of dreams fulfilled.

As the applause thundered, Lin Yi looked at Lin Tianming and exclaimed with excitement, “I’ll go, I’ll go!”