Chapter 134: The Scarlet Cloud Swordsman
Chapter 134: The Scarlet Cloud Swordsman
The structure of the Sword Bureau was simple, consisting of three main departments: the Intelligence Division, the Special Operations Division, and the Comprehensive Management Division.
The first two divisions were the most crucial.
One was tasked with intelligence gathering and analysis, while the other specialized in external special operations.
The Special Operations Division was comprised of numerous Sword Squads, each consisting of eight to ten members. The squad leader was a Pure Jun Swordsman, while the rest of the team members held the rank of Fish Gut Swordsman.
Fish Gut, Pure Jun, Scarlet Cloud, and Xuanyuan.
The benefits and compensation packages were tied to one's rank as a swordsman, with higher-ranked swordsmen wielding greater power and enjoying better treatment.
Min Chongwu had been with the Sword Bureau for almost a decade, starting as a mere Fish Gut Swordsman and working his way up. As a Super Deviant with exceptional abilities, he had successfully completed numerous missions, eventually earning his promotion to Pure Jun Swordsman three years ago.
On the other hand, Ji Xinghuo had done nothing and yet was directly appointed as a Scarlet Cloud Swordsman.
This fact rankled Min Chongwu a little.
Zhou Yishang's gaze turned solemn as he said, "Didn't you hear what I said? Do I need to repeat myself?"
"I heard you clearly," Min Chongwu replied, his neck shrinking slightly. Realizing that the iron-faced Director Zhou was back, he quickly added, "I'll take Xinghuo there now and ensure that I carry out your instructions, Director Zhou."
"Go ahead," Zhou Yishang dismissed him.
Ji Xinghuo stood up and bid farewell to Zhou Yishang before leaving the office with Min Chongwu.
Only when they were sufficiently far away from the office, separated by several walls, did Min Chongwu turn to Ji Xinghuo and ask in a low voice, "What's the story behind that letter of yours? How did it impress Director Zhou so much that he promoted you straight to Scarlet Cloud Swordsman?" His face was filled with envy.
"To be honest, I don't really know either," Ji Xinghuo replied.
"Never mind, let's not talk about it then," Min Chongwu said, clearly not believing him. He then added, "I don't have any personal grudge against you. After all, you're a top-notch player on the Tower, having participated in battles against legendary powerhouses, so your abilities are indeed worthy of the Scarlet Cloud rank. But others might not see it that way, and they will definitely resent Director Zhou's arrangement. You should be careful."
"I've never been one to court attention," Ji Xinghuo nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Ah..."
Min Chongwu heaved a sigh, "I've been working my butt off for ten years, barely managing to become a Pure Jun Swordsman, and now I'm still one rank below you."
"Have you never been on the Tower, Captain Min?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
"It's not easy to get on that Tower, you know?" Min Chongwu retorted irritably. "Besides, we're part of the Sword Bureau, an anti-espionage and intelligence-gathering agency. It's not beneficial for our operations if our swordsmen become too famous."
Ji Xinghuo nodded in agreement.
Min Chongwu continued, "Now that you're somewhat of a celebrity, you need to be extra cautious when carrying out missions in the future. Make sure to conceal your identity to avoid being recognized."
As they spoke, the two men arrived at the Personnel Section of the Comprehensive Management Division.
The head of the Personnel Section had already received instructions from Zhou Yishang, so Ji Xinghuo's promotion process went smoothly. He was handed a new swordsman handbook, signifying his new status.
The benefits and privileges of a Scarlet Cloud Swordsman were astonishing.
First was the salary, which had increased to 100,000 yuan per month. With various allowances and benefits included, the annual income from salary alone could exceed 2 million yuan.
However, Ji Xinghuo, with his current net worth of over 100 million, didn't place much value on this amount.
He was more interested in the authority that came with the rank of Scarlet Cloud Swordsman.
His security clearance had been raised by three levels. If he wanted to access citizen files, he would now need to request permission from officials of the same rank as the Director of the Sword Bureau.
On the internet, he could directly access the information of citizens ranked lower than himself.
He had free access to any institution or location under the jurisdiction of the Asia-Pacific Community, whether within or outside the country, as long as it fell within his authorized scope.
He was permitted to carry firearms and weapons in public places.
He could utilize the facilities of any of the Sword Bureau's eleven global divisions, as well as all hidden bases, offices, and safe houses, at any time.
When required by a mission, he could call upon up to three Sword Squads for assistance.
Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen were not required to be on standby.
They would only spring into action when notified of a mission by their superiors.
Only the Director and the three Deputy Directors of the Sword Bureau had the authority to issue orders to Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen, who were only half a rank lower than the thirteen Divisional Directors.
There were also numerous other privileges, such as internal network access within the Sword Bureau, free use of cultivation equipment and resources, and priority in purchasing officially manufactured superpower equipment.
Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen enjoyed a high degree of freedom.
Of course, all these rights and benefits came with a price.
The missions assigned to Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen were typically the most dangerous. They might involve infiltrating enemy countries, going undercover, assassinating targets, penetrating hostile organizations, counter-terrorism operations, or intercepting powerful foes. In situations where regular swordsmen were unable to resolve the issue, a Scarlet Cloud Swordsman would be dispatched, sometimes even facing off against legendary-level enemies.
Even Min Chongwu didn't know the exact number of Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen in the entire Sword Bureau.
He had only met around a dozen of them.
However, he estimated that their numbers wouldn't be particularly high, definitely not exceeding a hundred, and many of them, like him, were Super Deviants.
As for the highest-ranked Xuanyuan Swordsmen, they were as elusive as dragons that rarely showed their faces.
The identity of each Xuanyuan Swordsman was a top-secret matter.
Min Chongwu took Ji Xinghuo to the Equipment Section, where they installed a software application on his phone for internal communication within the Sword Bureau.
"Tianlai," Ji Xinghuo read aloud, noting that the software was disguised as a music player, complete with normal music-playing functions.
However, upon verification of his facial recognition and password, it would switch to a different interface.
"Interesting," Ji Xinghuo murmured as he put away his phone. After gaining a better understanding of the other privileges afforded to Scarlet Cloud Swordsmen, he said, "I just returned from the Star Realm and need to visit my family.
"Just ask Director Zhou to pass on the message."
Min Chongwu nodded and suddenly asked, "Won't you run away again this time?"
Although Ji Xinghuo was already a Scarlet Cloud Swordsman and had no motive to escape into the Star Realm, even if he left, Director Zhou wouldn't do anything to him. Still, the fact that Ji Xinghuo had run away before was equally incomprehensible and had never been reasonably explained.
What if Ji Xinghuo disappeared again in a few days? That would be a joke.
"Hahaha..."
Ji Xinghuo laughed, his laughter tinged with embarrassment, "Rest assured, if I want to enter the Star Realm in the future, I will definitely notify Director Zhou."
"That's good."
Min Chongwu arranged for an air-space fighter jet to send Ji Xinghuo out of the base.
A moment later.
The air-space fighter jet landed on a helipad atop a skyscraper, and Ji Xinghuo disembarked, the jet taking off immediately afterward.
He scanned his surroundings; he was in southern Chang'an, not far from his second brother Zhong Ming's residence.
Tall buildings loomed all around, neon lights flashing, and traffic rushing by.
After spending over a year in the Star Realm, he had now returned to the bustling metropolis he had been away from for so long, and the familiar feeling immediately washed over him.
Ji Xinghuo stood atop the skyscraper, his eyes closed as he sensed the magnetic field within a two-kilometer radius, mapping it in his mind.
Sounds, airflow, vibrations.
He was aware of everything happening around him.
This feeling was no different from when he was in the forests of the Star Realm—the environment was equally complex, and the information equally overwhelming. Yet, he was the hunter lurking within it all.
Ji Xinghuo descended from the skyscraper and, as it was not far away, decided to walk to his second brother Zhong Ming's home.
Along the way, passersby gave him curious glances now and then.
It was New Year's Day, yet he was dressed in ceramic steel armor, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, and a longsword, with a dagger at his waist—he looked like he had just returned from a mystical realm, which couldn't help but arouse people's surprise.
Ji Xinghuo walked nonchalantly in the cold wind; anyway, no one knew who he was, and carrying weapons wasn't illegal.
Soon, he arrived at Zhong Ming's apartment building.
Through his magnetic field sensing, he had already scanned his second brother's home, which was on the ninety-something floor. Apart from Zhong Ming, his other three siblings were also present.
Every year on the first day of the New Year holiday, the siblings would take turns hosting a family gathering.
This year, it was Zhong Ming's turn.
This was a high-end apartment building with strict access control and security. Ji Xinghuo had originally intended to call his second brother to let him in, but he was able to pass through the facial recognition of the access control and open the door.
"The Sword Bureau's efficiency is very high."
"So quickly I have domestic access permissions!" Ji Xinghuo rarely experienced such privileges and suddenly felt that being a Scarlet Cloud Swordsman was pretty good.
He took the elevator up and arrived at the door.
He pressed the doorbell.
Through his magnetic field sensing, he saw that the four siblings had been lying lazily on the sofa, watching TV or playing on their phones while chatting and eating snacks.
Upon hearing the doorbell, the four of them froze.
Zhong Ming's phone screen displayed the surveillance footage from outside the door. He glanced at it and saw Ji Xinghuo waving at the camera, startling him so much that he jumped up and exclaimed, "Xinghuo is back!"
His skin erupted in flames, and with a burst of fiery sprint, he reached the door and opened it.
"Xinghuo!"
However, after opening the door, Zhong Ming only saw a flash before his eyes, and Ji Xinghuo was already inside, standing in the room.
In the others' field of vision, a figure suddenly appeared.
"Xinghuo!"
"Third brother!"
Liang Qiu Feiyan was the most excited; she almost pounced on Ji Xinghuo, hugging him tightly like a koala. With a delighted smile, she exclaimed, "Third brother, you're finally back! Wow, you don't know how long I've been waiting. I was just saying that you should be back for the New Year this year!"
Ji Xinghuo felt her curvaceous figure and couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He smiled and said, "You've graduated from university, yet you're still like a kid from back then."
"Hehe..."
Liang Qiu Feiyan realized her mistake and let go, feeling a little embarrassed, but she still stayed close.
Ji Xinghuo looked at everyone.
"Big sister, second brother, little brother."
There weren't any changes in his siblings; they were all in their twenties, and a year and a half wasn't a long time. They were still in the prime of their youth.
As the eldest sister, Ye Dongyun was relieved to see Ji Xinghuo return safely. She said, "We've been worried about you for a long time. It's good that you're back."
"Yes, yes! Second brother even went into the Star Realm to look for you a few times but couldn't find you." Liang Qiu Feiyan suddenly spoke up.
"Second brother," Ji Xinghuo said, touched.
Zhong Ming walked over and smiled, "It was only when I reached the Star Realm and saw Olympia that I realized how vast it is. Trying to find someone there is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
He sized Ji Xinghuo up and down, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Xinghuo, what rank are you now? Was that a Flash Step you just used? You were so far away, and I almost didn't react in time. It felt faster than the advanced Flying Steps of our club!"
Instantly, the whole family's faces lit up with anticipation.
(End of Chapter)
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