Chapter 54: A Secret Proposal: The Arbitrators’ Invitation

“So why are the two of you acting so shy and awkward?”

Yu Menghua watched the two girls, who clearly wanted to draw closer yet dared not show it, fearing the other might notice, or perhaps blushing over some shared experience, her face etched with confusion.

****

Having concluded the battle, the Weichangzhe (TL Note: Weichangzhe Organization) responsible for rear support tirelessly worked across Tiangong City (TL Note: Tiangong City is the name of the city) to repair and maintain normal operations, striving to restore everything to order as swiftly as possible.

Given the severity and unexpected nature of this operation, Yu Menghua had generously granted a rather long holiday to the high-level espers who had actively participated in the fighting, which explained the deserted state of the Weichangzhe branch.

If one were to ask why Yu Menghua remained, the answer was simple: with her subordinates on holiday, who else would be responsible for the remaining work?

Moreover, as the branch chief, she currently had crucial matters that demanded her attention.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing happened at all.”

Lin Xi and Bai Li spoke in unison, their synchronized denials making Yu Menghua almost want to ask if they had ‘crossed a line’.

While it was undeniable that something had indeed occurred, it was also entirely plausible that nothing, in a specific sense, had transpired.

‘Oh, these young people today are truly elaborate in their games,’ she thought to herself, ‘I haven’t even found a Daoist partner (TL Note: A Daoist partner, or ‘dao lu,’ refers to a romantic and spiritual companion, often in cultivation settings) to this day, and I still maintain my purity.’

“Ahem! So, is there something you two need here? You also participated in the battle, so taking a holiday is perfectly fine.”

Though the espers arriving for support later would likely be full of questions, and having Bai Li, who had defeated the primary enemy, present would certainly ease her burden, Yu Menghua would not allow it.

Matters of the higher echelons were for the higher echelons to handle; no matter how strong Bai Li was, she was currently nothing more than a student who hadn’t fully graduated and a rookie esper, not yet needing to be entangled in so many affairs.

“Um, Senior Qing Lan (TL Note: ‘Senior’ is a respectful address for someone more experienced or older) asked us to come.”

“Qing Lan? Isn’t she ‘catching up’ with an old acquaintance of hers? Why would she suddenly call you two over…”

“Allow me to explain that part.”

Mid-sentence, Qing Lan suddenly appeared behind Yu Menghua, even shining a flashlight on her own face, startling Yu Menghua so much that she nearly grabbed the teapot from the table to hurl at Qing Lan’s head.

“You nuisance, can you stop doing such boring things…”

“It’s not boring at all; seeing you flustered is quite amusing.”

“…”

Yu Menghua remained silent, but the slight twitch of her finger, and the invisible sword qi that grazed Qing Lan’s neck by a hair’s breadth, spoke volumes.

“Alright, alright, no more jokes. I called you here because I wanted to discuss something.”

Qing Lan’s smile vanished, her expression turning serious.

“Are you two interested in joining an organization other than the Weichangzhe?”

“…What do you mean?”

Lin Xi didn’t understand Qing Lan’s question.

Everyone here belonged to the Weichangzhe, and there was nothing inherently wrong with the organization; in fact, it was considered one of the most comfortable professions. Today’s battle was merely an exceptional circumstance, as other esper organizations might encounter such situations more frequently.

While they didn’t understand, Yu Menghua did.

“You mean, could this be…?”

“Yes, I believe they possess immense potential, and rather than remaining with the Weichangzhe, they would be better suited to an organization more fitting for them.”

Upon hearing the exchange between Qing Lan and Yu Menghua, Lin Xi gradually began to grasp the situation.

“Are Senior Qing Lan and the Branch Chief long-time acquaintances? And do they know a lot about each other?”

“Well, in a sense, yes. The sect where I practice the Qingfeng Sword Art (TL Note: Qingfeng Sword Art refers to a specific cultivation technique involving swordsmanship) is allied with hers, and we’ve met quite a few times before.”

Although Qing Lan dressed like a modern career woman, she was, in essence, quite similar to Yu Menghua, who was a cultivator (TL Note: A cultivator, or ‘xiu xian zhe,’ is an individual who practices cultivation, often seeking immortality or spiritual enlightenment). Her choice of attire was purely for misdirection and personal preference.

“Let’s get back to the matter of organizations. You two should know that the Weichangzhe isn’t the only esper organization, right?”

“We do. Apart from unofficial esper organizations, most official organizations have different codenames and structures based on their region and function.”

“Not bad. Let me test you further: what are the codenames of the other organizations that belong to the same structure as the Weichangzhe?”

“That… would be the Dreamkeepers and the Boundary Breakers.”

If unofficial esper organizations were akin to various civilian groups, then the Weichangzhe served as the police maintaining social order, while the Dreamkeepers acted as an army responsible for guarding specific regions, particularly against incursions from the Otherworld (TL Note: The Otherworld, or ‘Yi Jie,’ refers to an alternate dimension or realm) and other dangers.

As for the Boundary Breakers, they were the investigators tasked with venturing into dangerous areas, such as those encroached upon by the Otherworld, to conduct research.

“Wait, could it be that…”

“You’re thinking I’m actually part of one of those, aren’t you? But in truth, I belong to a more clandestine organization, known as the Arbitrators.”

Qing Lan’s true identity was that of a special envoy for the Arbitrators. She had come to Tiangong City to serve as a Weichangzhe for various reasons, including ensuring that intelligence wasn’t outdated or erroneous and rooting out dangerous individuals.

“Well, I do perform all my Weichangzhe duties; it’s essentially a multi-identity situation, and some of the higher-ups are aware of it.”

Qing Lan spoke as if declaring that she was diligently working and not slacking off.

“…What benefits are there for us?”

Just then, Bai Li, who had remained silent, posed a crucial and reasonable question.

“While I don’t know the specifics, I imagine the Arbitrators’ work won’t be simple, will it? As for mission rewards, I’m not particularly interested. If there aren’t any other benefits, I’d rather take on several jobs by myself than let Xi Xi (TL Note: ‘Xi Xi’ is an affectionate nickname for Lin Xi) fall into danger.”

Though Bai Li spoke with utmost seriousness, Qing Lan and Yu Menghua felt as though they had just been force-fed a large helping of ‘dog food’ (TL Note: ‘Dog food,’ or ‘gou liang,’ is a Chinese slang term for public displays of affection, often used humorously to describe romantic interactions that make single people feel jealous).

‘Is this what they call protecting one’s wife with real power (TL Note: ‘Protecting one’s wife with real power,’ or ‘shili hu qi,’ is a Chinese slang term describing a capable and devoted partner who actively protects their significant other)?’ they thought. ‘The key is that Bai Li truly possesses that power!’

“Uh… of course, those benefits won’t be lacking. After all, the Arbitrators are, at their core, a special operations organization. Everyone within it is exceptionally talented and possesses considerable power and resources. Oh, you two are preparing to graduate and apply for university, aren’t you? Lin Xi could certainly use her long-term work experience with the Weichangzhe to be exempt from the Gaokao (TL Note: The Gaokao is China’s national college entrance examination) or even be directly recruited, but it would be more difficult for Bai Li, wouldn’t it?”

Although Bai Li had recently handled several tricky cases, these could at most serve as bonus points. To bypass the lengthy application process, she would still require actual long-term experience.

This meant that during that period, Bai Li would need to be separated from Lin Xi for assessments, and there was even a minuscule possibility they might not be able to enter the same university.

Of course, with her achievements, very few universities would reject her, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

“So, what if I told you that by simply joining the Arbitrators, all those complicated processes could be skipped entirely? What would your thoughts be then?”