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墨書 Inktalez
The ship rescue operation was underway, and the Joint Naval Command dispatched warships to transport everyone to Divine Island. After a brief stay of one day on Divine Island, Ye Xin had arranged vehicles to head towards Hero Town.
Years had passed, and Hero Town had undergone significant changes. It was now quite prosperous, primarily due to the emergence of the Media Industry, attracting many journalists to reside there. Additionally, a road had been opened from Hero Town to Hero City, currently guarded by soldiers from the Eternity Alliance. Ordinary people were strictly prohibited from entering Hero City. The headquarters of the Alliance had also officially relocated to Hero City, all thanks to Mi Big Head's contributions. After Mi Big Head invented clothing that protected ordinary people from the harmful effects of Force Stones, the Alliance became financially robust, with a steady influx of workers providing a fresh outlook for Hero City.
Forty kilometers away from Hero City stood a newly constructed area designated for workers serving Hero City. The number of workers currently reached four hundred, covering various sectors such as sanitation, health services, utilities, landscaping, and catering. Their salaries were exceptionally high, several times that of senior professionals in Twilight City. They only needed to work thirty hours a week and could come and go freely. However, there were restrictions: first, their clothing had to meet certain standards; second, they were not allowed to leak any information about Hero City. In fact, many journalists obtained high-priced information about Hero City from these workers. The final rule was non-negotiable: photography equipment was strictly prohibited within the dormitory areas. Taking photos in Hero City could result in a minimum sentence of five years in prison.
With technological advancements, the global media industry was rapidly developing and competition was fierce. As cars approached the checkpoint where soldiers checked practitioners' credentials, nearby journalists surged forward with cameras in hand, snapping pictures indiscriminately. One female journalist even leaned into the driver's window and asked, "Hey buddy, want to roll in the sheets?"
The soldiers quickly stepped in to maintain order, placing a sticker on the car window before allowing it to pass. Beiyue sighed in relief; ever since the truth about practitioners was revealed, they had become hot news topics. Some viewed them as superheroes while others saw them as vigilantes or feared these individuals with extraordinary abilities, leading to the demonization of the Force Alliance.
Practitioners still commanded respect; at least those affiliated with the Alliance had not committed any major crimes and had even assisted in resolving various issues—such as participating in rescue operations for miners and combating floods—earning positive recognition for their volunteer work alongside the Force Alliance. However, this led the Alliance to revise its regulations and raise the moral standards expected of practitioners.
The sticker placed by soldiers indicated that the vehicle's occupants held Force Alliance credentials. On the road, they encountered workers driving towards Hero Town; due to the narrowness of the road, these workers would always voluntarily pull over to make way. Was this treatment excessive? It's hard to say; after all, similar privileges were afforded to members of the Twilight City royal family. Although there were no strict regulations mandating such respect from citizens, they naturally honored royalty. However, this expectation forced royal members to manage themselves more stringently.
Cui Ming sat in the passenger seat and took the materials handed over by Mi Xiaonan from the backseat—new regulations provided by Ye Family for the Alliance. Glancing through them confirmed that rules had indeed tightened; for instance, while previously one could ignore someone in peril, practitioners now bore an obligation to act heroically. Previously it was permissible not to use Force against civilians unless attacked or threatened; now it was mandated that no harm should come to civilians unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, practitioners were forbidden from accepting interviews with journalists or leaking unpublished information about the Alliance.
Cui Ming set aside the regulations. "When I joined the Alliance, it wasn't like this. These sudden additions—aren't they violating contract law?"
In their two vehicles were six individuals who seemed quite discordant together—Beiyue and Cui Ming along with Mi Xiaonan; Li Qing and Wei Wei accompanied by Vlad.
Speaking of Li Qing, ever since that day when Wei Wei had left her speechless with questions, she had changed her previously ostentatious demeanor—sleeping during the day and avoiding Wei Wei at night by any means necessary. Whenever Wei Wei happened upon Li Qing, she would cast disdainful glances her way. It was evident that Wei Wei did not harbor ill feelings towards Li Qing anymore; perhaps there was a chance for rekindling old flames. However, feelings are mutual; after more than a decade apart, what would Li Qing think?
What Li Qing thought remained unknown; Cui Ming felt quite comfortable leaning against Mi Xiaonan in the passenger seat while Beiyue drove without needing conversation—a calm and pleasant atmosphere enveloped them. Beiyue was already halfway through an important task—soon becoming an Alliance Hunter—allowing her access into high-end practitioner circles where she could gather comprehensive information about her father. Yet Beiyue wondered if developing feelings would hinder her progress in cultivation or even lead her backward; she dared not take that risk just yet.
Cui Ming went with the flow.
The car arrived at Hero City in the afternoon. Aside from the sparse crowd, Hero City now looked completely revitalized. The soldiers at the Outpost, dressed in special uniforms, stopped the vehicle. They checked identification first, and this time they were checking people.
After receiving the documents, they made a call to the internal offices of Hero City. Based on the identification number, a fax was sent over for comparison with facial features before granting entry. Cui Ming encountered a problem; although Vlad was not a member of the Alliance, he was a wanted criminal and qualified to enter Hero City. However, Cui Ming did not have identification. After several attempts to contact someone, a duty officer who recognized Cui Ming personally came to escort him inside.
This duty officer was from the Eastern Continent Seat. He had been on the airship during Cui Ming's assessment and was in his forties, with average abilities but a very enthusiastic demeanor. He entered Hero City alongside Cui Ming and answered all his questions.
Hero City had hotels where members could stay, offering services comparable to those of five-star hotels in the Three Continents. It was clear that these hotels were operating at a loss, as the Force Alliance provided substantial subsidies. There were two buildings with a total of two hundred and twenty rooms, ensuring that each practitioner had their own room. The five of them, including Cui Ming, were all on the tenth floor in adjacent rooms.
The hotel was very close to the Alliance Headquarters, only a seven-minute walk away. The Eastern Continent Seat informed Cui Ming that there were only about twenty practitioners in Hero City on average each day. Cui Ming asked how four hundred people could serve just twenty. The officer laughed heartily and said that having money meant such things were possible. Not to mention the funding provided by the Eternity Alliance, just the biannual assessment fees of ten million per person added up to an astronomical figure.
In Hero City, there was a separate building right next to the headquarters. This building had only two floors and was not very large; it lacked any workers for management and even Alliance members were prohibited from entering. This was the headquarters of the Alliance Hunters, which currently had six official members and five prospective hunters. The Alliance Hunter regulations required hunters to take turns serving in Hero City.
The group then split up; Beiyue, Wei Wei, and Vlad entered Hunter Headquarters while Li Qing and Mi Xiaonan went to the hotel. Cui Ming headed to reapply for his practitioner identification card. This card was quite valuable; although it sometimes attracted attention, it came with significant privileges. For instance, when using transportation, one had priority for the best seats.
As Cui Ming reviewed the regulations while waiting for a Volunteer to vouch for him, he pondered about what it meant to be unruly. What exactly constituted being unruly? It seemed ambiguous; one should not violate local laws—so what privileges remained? Cui Ming shook his head; this baseline was set too high. Practitioners were individuals, not royal members with Bloodline privileges or aristocrats bound by family rules. Practitioners could choose freely; if joining the Alliance brought more disadvantages than benefits, then they would simply not join. At least when being unruly, the Alliance had no authority over him.
Cui Ming casually asked, "Brother, how many teams signed up for this Assessment Match?"
The Volunteer replied, "Four teams—one team of free agents—it's the lowest number ever." The pass rate for assessments wasn't high; many were retaking them and there were quite a few prospective members, but this time it was exceptionally low.
"Cui Ming said, 'When the safety of the leader of the City-State is threatened, the leader can request protection from the alliance members present in the area. The alliance members must not refuse without special circumstances... Damn it.'
'Don't curse. The President is under a lot of pressure. This new regulation was put in place by the former President before retirement, who used connections to persuade several members on duty to pass the resolution. Now, the members are demanding the repeal of this new rule, and a meeting will be held before this assessment,' the Volunteer placed his credentials on the table. 'You were a member during the last assessment, so you are not bound by the new regulations.'
'Is it really that good?' Cui Ming was surprised.
'Yeah, what can we do? The rules are too strict; people are avoiding joining the alliance, and some have even withdrawn. Who would care about a monthly stipend of thirty thousand?' the Volunteer said. 'Don't worry, brother. We are not an organization that serves the people; we are an organization that helps people while enjoying life.' The Volunteer knew more; this new system was much more complicated than outsiders realized. It was spearheaded by the Ye Family and passed during a period when the Ding Family had no leadership. Because of strict family teachings, they aimed to restrain practitioners to achieve cohesion. However, after trying for a year or two, the results were dismal; people simply did not buy into it. This indirectly led to a change in leadership within the Ye Family. To address the increasingly loose alliance, Bufon decided that practitioners who joined earlier would not be bound by the new regulations, effectively nullifying them since newcomers would inevitably demand fair treatment.
'Thank you.' Cui Ming took his new credentials, which were quite impressive. Just as he was about to leave, he saw someone approaching and stepped aside.
The newcomer was Wandering. Although he was the leader of hunters and enjoyed taking turns on duty, this month it was his turn. Upon seeing Cui Ming, he said, 'Cui Ming, don’t run away! I’m treating you to dinner tonight; bring your brothers along.'
Cui Ming chuckled and asked, 'Senior, can I skip it?'
'No way! Second floor of the hotel at seven o'clock,' Wandering said reluctantly as he realized Cui Ming guessed he had something to discuss. 'There’s a benefit involved; isn’t Li Qing your senior brother? If you help me out, I’ll make things happen through back channels after I leave. How about it?'
Cui Ming stared at Wandering for a while and asked, 'Is it true that my senior brother let Sadin go? If there’s news proving my senior brother made the right choice in letting him go, will you take advantage of me for your own gain?'
Wandering chuckled dryly but didn’t deny it. 'Seven o'clock; don’t forget.'
It’s not that he feared bad people being rogue; what scared him was when seniors became rogues. Cui Ming had many flaws but also strengths—such as trust and respect for friends and respect for people like Wandering. He didn’t think Wandering deserved respect because of high morals; rather, Wandering earned his respect through dedication—a spirit of giving time and effort consistently over decades. This was something Cui Ming could only look up to but never reach."
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