Volume One, Chapter 10: Visitors from the 749 Bureau

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Ge took a taxi to the outskirts of the city and stopped before a dense forest.

[In the future, a terrifying tree demon will be born in this thicket. A team of three hundred people will hunt for demonic beasts, stray into the forest, and all be consumed as blood-food for the tree demon. Because of this fortuitous event, the tree demon will become the fastest-evolving monster in the outskirts of Jiangcheng, becoming the first to break through to the third rank.]

Walking into the woods, Chu Ge searched for a long time before finally locating the tree demon. It already showed signs of evolution; as Chu Ge approached, its branches swayed slightly. Chu Ge decided not to kill it yet—it would be better to let it grow a bit more first. After leaving a marker nearby, he turned and left.

Before long, he arrived at a large river. The water was calm, and crocodiles, usually rarely seen, were lounging on the banks, quietly basking in the sun.

[I recall that a Golden Giant Crocodile will soon be born here. Its blood can temper one's constitution and significantly enhance physical strength. Although the Golden Giant Crocodile's evolution speed cannot compare to the tree demon's, its combat power is a cut above.]

After marking the spot, Chu Ge headed to a private detective agency in Jiangcheng to request that they keep an eye out for Lin Long and notify him immediately if he appeared in the city. With these tasks completed, he did not linger outside and quickly returned to his hotel.

When he arrived, Su Ran was in a deep, lethargic sleep. It seemed the events of the previous night had taken a heavy toll on her. Chu Ge did not wake her and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

...

That evening, after finishing his meal, Chu Ge was preparing to meditate when a knock sounded at the door. Su Ran became instantly alert, fearing that news of the previous night had leaked and that trouble had come knocking. Chu Ge gestured for her to stay calm, then went to open the door.

Standing outside were a man and a woman, both exuding a murderous aura. Chu Ge could tell at a glance they were not ordinary people—they were cultivators, though they had not yet broken through to the first rank.

The man was sturdy with a scar running across his eye; rather than looking menacing, it gave him a cold, handsome edge. The woman was highly attractive, about the same height as Su Ran, with an imposing and proud figure. She wore a black trench coat and possessed a heroic, sharp temperament that was captivating to both men and women alike.

"Are you Chu Ge?" The man squinted at him.

"Yes, and who might you be?" Chu Ge asked, his guard up.

Noticing his wariness, the woman took a small booklet from her pocket and said in a deep voice, "Bureau 749. May we talk?"

Chu Ge raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this department to actually exist. It was rumored to have been founded by the famous scientist Qian to study aerospace, but over time, it shifted focus toward supernatural phenomena like extrasensory perception, qigong, and fasting. Had this been a few days ago, Chu Ge would have scoffed and dismissed them as frauds, but now, he had seen the other side of the world. The supernatural was real, and it had always been there.

[Accept them!]

Chu Ge was hesitating about whether to let them in. He had many secrets, and dealing with people from Bureau 749 risked exposure. The diary's prompt instantly dispelled his concerns. Besides, these two were just ordinary cultivators; he could suppress them with one hand.

"Please, come in," Chu Ge said, nodding.

"Who are they?" Su Ran asked, startled by the two strangers.

"Go to the inner room; I have something to discuss with them," Chu Ge said calmly. Seeing his composed demeanor, Su Ran felt relieved and retreated into the room with Little Heizi.

The woman extended a hand. "Chu Ge, let me introduce myself. I am Luo Lan from Bureau 749, and this is my colleague, Han Chufeng."

Han Chufeng offered a smile on his cold, stern face. It was stiff; he was clearly not a man who smiled often.

"Nice to meet you," Chu Ge said, shaking her hand. "What can I do for you?"

Luo Lan produced two photos: one showing Chu Ge single-handedly dealing with over a dozen security guards, and another of him flipping a van with his bare hands last night.

"We mean no harm. We just want to confirm: are you a cultivator?"

"If by cultivator you mean someone with more strength and speed than the average person, then yes, I am." Chu Ge did not deny it; they had already come to his door, so there was no point in hiding.

Luo Lan’s eyes lit up. "Would you mind revealing your talent?"

"Talent?" Chu Ge feigned confusion.

Han Chufeng explained, "It’s like this: many people around the world have awakened talents like you, gaining abilities beyond human imagination. That is a talent. You must have heard an ancient voice when you awakened, right?"

Chu Ge nodded at the appropriate moment. "The talent I awakened is an A-rank, Golden Flame." As he spoke, he slowly extended his palm, and a cluster of pale gold flames appeared. He wasn't unaware of the need for restraint, but for him, his greatest cards were not his talent or the Eight-Nine Profound Art, but the diary.

Luo Lan and Han Chufeng felt a terrifying, scorching heat emanating from the golden flames. They couldn't help but gasp, their attitudes instantly becoming more respectful.

Han Chufeng smiled. "Mr. Chu, we understand your situation now. We can basically confirm that you are a cultivator—and a very powerful one at that."

After weighing her words, Luo Lan asked, "Mr. Chu, would you be interested in joining Bureau 749?"

Chu Ge shook his head decisively, without a second thought. Both were surprised by his blunt refusal. Didn't he want to ask about the benefits?

"That is a pity," Luo Lan sighed regretfully. "However, Bureau 749 does not force cultivators to join, nor do we interfere with your freedom. As long as you do not use your status as a cultivator to slaughter the innocent, Bureau 749 will not move against you."

Chu Ge nodded. He understood the purpose of Bureau 749. Without rules, there is chaos; without restraints, the world would be full of people running amok. He refused to join not only because being part of the system brought both benefits and restrictive inconveniences—such as being unable to engage in "black-on-black" activities—but also because he feared being ordered to do things he disliked. Furthermore, this spiritual energy recovery was unprecedented in scale, and Bureau 749 was just a small organization established a few decades ago. Whether they could even protect themselves was debatable. It wasn't clear who would be protecting whom. Rather than getting entangled in a mess of trouble, it was better to refuse.

"Mr. Chu, this is my contact information. If you change your mind, feel free to contact me at any time." Luo Lan left her contact details, asked a few more simple questions, and then they departed.