The undead have descended upon the world? I possess a sword that can cleave the heavens once more!

Wu You grasped that hand: "Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Lin Yuan nodded, his smile fading as he adopted a more serious expression.

"However, there's one more thing I need to ask for your opinion on."

Wu You looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It's about your specific position after you join the company." Lin Yuan sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to him, gesturing for him to sit down as well. "Normally, new employees are usually first or second-tier ability users or martial artists, and they need to start as torchbearer candidates."

Wu You's ears twitched.

Musha.

It's another familiar term. The third-tier monster mentioned it before, calling him a "martial artist," but he still didn't understand the difference between a martial artist and an ability user.

However, he didn't rush to ask, and waited for Lin Yuan to finish speaking.

Lin Yuan slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot, I haven't explained the specific organizational structure of the Investigation Bureau to you yet."

He cleared his throat.

"The Bureau of Investigation is divided into three departments: the Operations Department, the Logistics Department, and the Life Department."

"The Execution Department and the Logistics Department are the core departments. They are required to go out to carry out tasks such as eliminating zombies, or to be responsible for cleaning up the aftermath, providing rescue and support, etc. Therefore, all the personnel in these two departments are advanced-level ability users or martial artists."

"The Life Department is mainly responsible for services that are geared towards ordinary people, such as scholarships, work-study loans, material coordination, and liaison with companies and enterprises. Therefore, the members are generally ordinary people." He paused for a moment, "Of course, there are also some executors who have been damaged to the core and can no longer fight against the zombie species, who will also be temporarily assigned to the Life Department."

Wu You nodded and kept it in mind.

"As for the internal ranks within the Investigation Bureau..." Lin Yuan looked at him, "Actually, in principle, those of us who work in the Investigation Bureau should be called investigators. But we have another name."

His eyes held a deeper meaning.

Wu You remembered the stone tablet and the vow.

"The Torchbearer".

Lin Yuan nodded: "That's right, the torchbearer."

"The ranks within the Bureau of Investigation are determined by the name of the torchbearer."

"Those with first- or second-tier strength are candidates for Torchbearer. Once they reach third-tier strength, they can apply to become official Torchbearers."

"Among the official torchbearers, there are three types of badges: bronze, silver, and gold."

"Bronze badges correspond to the third to fourth level of strength, silver badges correspond to the fifth to sixth level of strength, and gold badges correspond to the seventh to eighth level of strength."

As Wu You listened, he silently tried to identify the person in question.

He is currently at the third rank, and according to this classification, he can apply to become a bronze emblem torchbearer.

"Generally speaking, newcomers need to start as torchbearer candidates," Lin Yuan continued. "On the one hand, becoming a torchbearer requires ability, and on the other hand, it takes into account that newcomers are not yet familiar with the Bureau of Investigation's corpse disposal business."

He looked at Wu You.

"But your situation is rather special. Not only do you possess the strength of a third-tier cultivator, but you also have corresponding achievements—killing a third-tier corpse last night and saving Hu Cheng are enough to make you a formal Bronze Badge Torchbearer."

Wu You understood that this was what Lin Yuan meant by "seeking your opinion".

"But we can't just assign you to that position directly, since the application requires your consent." Lin Yuan paused. "So, are you willing to become an official torchbearer?"

His expression was somewhat complicated when he said this.

He's not even an official torchbearer yet.

Wu You did not hesitate.

"willing."

Lin Yuan nodded, as if he had expected it.

"The name of the torchbearer represents not only power, but also responsibility." He looked at Wu You, his tone earnest, "Keep it up, young man."

Then he stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"Also, your documents will arrive within two days. Remember to come and pick them up then."

"There are also combat equipment such as sidearms and disposable Dark Domain Lockdown Devices, which you need to pass a certain assessment to receive. Of course, it's just some simple operational assessment, so remember to come and take the test when you have time."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Um... was there anything else?"

"By the way, the internal forum account."

He took out his pure black work phone from his pocket and twirled it in his hand.

"Your internal identification number has been issued. Let me see..." He glanced down at his phone. "Hmm, LH-1027."

"Your current internal identification number is LH-1027. However, this number is only temporary. Once your application to become a formal torchbearer is approved, your internal identification number will be updated. But for now, this number is fine to use."

He turned his phone screen around and pointed to an icon on it.

"There's a built-in app on the Investigation Bureau's work phone called 'Investigation Pass.' You can log in by entering your account and password. The account and initial password are your internal number, and you can change the password yourself later."

He glanced at Wu You.

"You've only recently become an ability user, so there's some common knowledge in the investigation guide that will be very helpful to you. There are also some characteristics and strategies for various types of zombies, which you can take a look at and explore on your own when you get back."

Wu You nodded.

Then he remembered what he had wanted to ask earlier.

"Uncle Lin, that martial artist, and that Dark Domain..."

Lin Yuan raised his hand and looked at his watch.

"This is a bit complicated," he frowned. "I have a task to clean up the scene later, so time is a bit tight. There's relevant information in the investigation file; you can take a look at that first. If you have any further questions, contact me by phone."

He stood up, ready to leave.

"That concludes today's task. You can proceed as follows..."

Ring ring ring— Ring ring ring—

The bell suddenly rang.

It didn't come from Lin Yuan.

It came from Wu You.

Wu You paused for a moment, then pulled out the pure black work phone he had just received from his pocket.

The screen was lit up, displaying a name: Hu Lie.

He looked up at Lin Yuan, his face blank.

I haven't even started work yet, how come I'm already getting a phone call?

Lin Yuan had obviously seen that name too; his lips twitched, and his expression was somewhat subtle.

"Don't worry," he said, "it's a good thing, a very good thing."

Wu You pressed the answer button.

Almost instantly, a slightly rough but very polite voice came from the receiver.

"Hello, comrade Wu You, I am Hu Lie."

His voice was steady, carrying an indescribable weight.

"I am also Hu Cheng's father. I am very grateful to you for saving my son in a critical moment yesterday."

He paused for a moment.

"Hu Lie will always remember this kindness. If you need any help in the future, please call this number."

After saying that, the call ended abruptly without waiting for Wu You's reply.

beep - beep - beep -

Wu You stood there, holding his phone, stunned.

Is this over?

He turned to look at Lin Yuan, his bewilderment deepening.

Lin Yuan walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"You deserve it."

"By the way," he added, "you probably don't know who Hu Lie is."

Wu You shook his head.

"He is the deputy director of the Xilin Provincial Anomaly Investigation Bureau."

Lin Yuan looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The second most powerful person in charge of the investigation bureaus throughout Xilin Province."

Wu You was stunned.

He wasn't pausing to consider how beneficial this would be to him.

He was thinking about something else.

Hu Cheng, the son of the deputy director of the provincial investigation bureau, was actually fighting on the front line.

Even knowing they were no match for the enemy, they would stand in front of ordinary people and face death with equanimity.

Last night in the Dark Realm, when that man stood in front of him and said, "Child, come behind me," did he know he might die?

he knows.

But he still stepped in to block it.

Wu You then recalled the oath of the torchbearer on that stone tablet.

Hu Cheng is a candidate to carry the torch.

But he has already lived up to the image of a torchbearer.

Wu You stood there, holding the black phone in his hand, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

The torchbearer...

Anomaly Investigation Bureau...

He muttered to himself, his voice very soft.

. . . . . .

The New Calendar, The Chronicles of the Sword Ancestor, Part Three: The Beginning of Calamity

Having awakened his sword intent and gained extraordinary abilities, the Sword Ancestor was still unfamiliar with the art of killing and his actions were still immature. Later, he encountered a corpse, also known as Thousand Faces, whose power was overwhelming, far surpassing that of the lowly corpse from before. It possessed a terrifyingly fierce aura and an intimidatingly ruthless nature.

At that time, Zu was traveling alone and encountered difficulties. Corpse spirits blocked his path, and a murderous aura surrounded him; his situation was perilous. Suddenly, a man appeared, known as the Torchbearer, who belonged to the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations. His name was unknown, and his background was a mystery. This man assessed the strength of the enemy and knew that he was outnumbered and could not withstand their attack. He knew that this battle was doomed to failure.

Seeing his ancestor was young and trapped in a dangerous place, he, with a noble spirit and a willingness to die, stepped forward to protect him. Knowing it was impossible, he did it anyway, defying the evil spirits with his own body, like a torch flickering in the dim light, fighting against the stench of death.

Zu, witnessing his plight, was deeply moved. He admired his solitary courage and respected his unwavering sincerity. He then focused his mind, concentrated on his sword, and fought with all his might, finally slaying the powerful corpse demon and breaking the perilous situation.

Afterwards, Zu, deeply moved by the torchbearer's righteousness and admiring the Investigation Bureau's efforts in suppressing corpses and bringing peace to the world, resolved to join the Bureau and dedicate himself to its work. From then on, he concealed his true abilities, honed his swordsmanship, traveled to investigate the supernatural, and vanquished the evil spirits. His youthful swordsmanship began to show its brilliance, and his reputation began to spread throughout the world.

The treatise states: A tiny torch illuminates the darkness, a lone figure stands alone; knowing he is no match, he defends his life with his own. The torchbearer is an unknown man, yet with a single inch of courage, he moves the supreme sword ancestor. A single thought arises, the sword enters the public sphere, its sharpness is revealed—this is the beginning of the sword ancestor's entry into the world.