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

When Wu You opened her eyes again, a ray of sunlight was streaming in through the gap in the curtains, drawing a thin golden line on the bed sheet.

He squinted for two seconds, then reached for his phone.

It was already past seven in the morning. Although he had only slept for a little over two hours, he was in good spirits. With his current physique, it was only because he had exhausted too much energy practicing the Seven Luminaries Sword of the Star Pivot last night that he could go without sleep for several days without any problem.

Just as I was about to put down my phone, my gaze suddenly stopped.

There is a missed call on the screen, the number is unknown, and there is also an unread text message.

He clicked on it.

"Dear Torchbearer, good day. I am Chen Qingsong, President of the Lanhe City Martial Arts Association, and on behalf of all members of the Association, I extend my highest respect to you. It is an honor for this tournament to learn of your presence at the Lanhe Martial Arts League. I am humbled and would like to inquire about your travel arrangements. If you are so kind as to grant me your request, the Association has prepared the most comprehensive welcoming ceremony. A car and accompanying personnel are ready to assist you at your behest. If you have any needs, please feel free to inform us. The entire Association will do its utmost to assist you."

Wu You couldn't hold back after reading it.

The flattery in those words was almost overflowing, and the wording was so literary.

However, this also shows that the Torchbearer wields astonishing power outside the Bureau of Investigation.

However, considering the duties and responsibilities of the torchbearer, Wu You felt that this was normal.

If the torchbearer, as the guardian, not only has to face the zombies, but also gets bullied by others outside, how can they possibly protect the dead?

He thought for a moment and typed back: "Send me the specific address and schedule of the league. I'll be there in a bit."

The league doesn't start until 9 a.m., so I can wash up, have breakfast, and then head over. The timing will be perfect.

-

Meanwhile, at the Lanhe Central Gymnasium.

A group of people were gathered in the lounge, all dressed in white martial arts uniforms. They were all quite old, with some gray hair at their temples.

Some people were pacing with their hands behind their backs, some were sitting in chairs looking at their phones repeatedly, and some were staring blankly at the clock on the wall.

"President, is there still no news about the person in charge of the competition this year?" An elderly man with gray hair couldn't help but ask, looking at the man with slightly graying temples in the middle of the crowd.

Chen Qingsong shook his head slightly: "I've already sent a message and made a phone call to that person, but there hasn't been a reply yet."

"President, should we ask again? Maybe that person didn't check their phone?" another middle-aged man suggested tentatively.

Chen Qingsong shook his head again, his tone calm: "That's not appropriate. Asking too many questions will only annoy people. Anyway, the competition hasn't started yet, so let's just wait."

The group exchanged glances, neither saying anything more. The lounge fell silent, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall.

ding ding-

The phone rang suddenly, and everyone's eyes turned to look at it.

Chen Qingsong picked up his phone, tapped the screen with his finger, and his expression changed from calm to serious, and then from serious to relieved.

"I'm back!" He looked up. "That sir will be here shortly."

The atmosphere in the lounge instantly relaxed.

"President, who is the person in charge this time?" someone asked.

Chen Qingsong shook his head: "It wasn't one of the usual ones. It was an official surnamed Wu."

The crowd exchanged glances, their faces showing varying degrees of disappointment. They had a better understanding of the temperaments and preferences of the torchbearers who had previously been in charge of the league, so they could tailor their gifts accordingly. But this Mr. Wu was a complete stranger.

"I wonder what hobbies this new lord has," someone muttered quietly.

"Old Li, didn't your eldest disciple join the Investigation Bureau after awakening last year? Hurry up and ask him?" Another middle-aged man turned to look at an elderly man with gray hair beside him.

Upon hearing this, Li Mingguang's eyes widened: "Isn't your grandson from the Investigation Bureau? You're asking me?"

"So did you ask or not?"

Li Mingguang shook his head and sighed, "They're very busy, how could I possibly ask about something like this?"

"And you, Lao Liu? Didn't you even ask?"

The middle-aged man, known as Lao Liu, shook his head: "I asked, and Xiao Kui said he didn't know either."

"Oh..." someone drawled, "Looks like we can only send some general resources like medicinal herbs and energy stones."

"Yes, that's the only way."

A group of people whispered among themselves, their voices filled with helplessness. Only Chen Qingsong stood to the side, his expression calm, lost in thought.

-

"Destination reached. Navigation has ended."

The navigation system beeped, and Wu You parked the car and got out.

The first thing you see is a red banner with white lettering, hanging above the entrance to the stadium. The lettering is elegant and grand: "Warmly welcome the leaders from higher authorities to visit and guide the 5th Lanhe City Martial Arts League."

Wu You glanced at it, then silently looked away.

Below the banner, a group of people dressed in white martial arts uniforms stood in a neat row on both sides of the entrance. They looked quite old, but they stood very straight.

Moreover, Wu You also saw a familiar face among them—Feng Shan, the master of Fengxiang Martial Arts School.

He stood on the left and nodded slightly when he saw Wu You, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

At the front of the crowd, a man with slightly graying temples stepped forward. His gaze lingered on Wu You's face for a moment before settling on the small silver torch badge on Wu You's chest, his expression becoming slightly solemn.

"Excuse me, are you Lord Wu You?"

Wu You nodded: "It's me."

"That's good." Chen Qingsong's face showed a relieved expression. "Lord Lin Yuan mentioned you to me."

Wu You glanced sideways: Does Uncle Lin know him? I haven't heard Lin Yuan mention it before.

Those people in white martial arts uniforms behind Chen Qingsong subtly changed their expressions upon hearing this.

Didn't you just say you only knew his surname was Wu? Who is Lord Lin Yuan? Wait, President, you've been hiding this for so long?

Ignoring the reaction of the person behind him, Chen Qingsong turned to the side and gestured for them to follow: "The competition hasn't started yet, sir, please come with me."

Wu You followed him into the stadium, through the corridor, and into a lounge.

The group of martial artists in white martial arts uniforms also came over, but they all consciously stayed at the door. Only Chen Qingsong and two other people went inside.

Several people were already sitting in the lounge.

All three, dressed in matching black trench coats, were drinking tea and chatting when they saw Wu You enter. They all stood up at the same time.

They were all members of the executive department, so they naturally knew Wu You.

"Brother You?" A young man paused, taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

The other one also realized what was happening: "Lord You, why should you be responsible for something like this?"

Wu You understood what they meant.

A municipal-level investigation bureau has a fixed staff.

Among them, the director, as the highest-ranking person in charge of the municipal bureau, must be a "golden emblem torchbearer" and a top-level combat force guarding the city.

The deputy directors, executive department directors, and logistics department directors and deputy directors are all Silver Insignia Torchbearers, responsible for coordinating and inspecting high-end combat forces in various regions.

Below them are the largest number of Bronze Badge Torchbearers and Torchbearer Candidates, responsible for carrying out the task of clearing out low-level zombies in their respective small jurisdictions.

For Wu You, as the deputy director of the executive department and the silver badge torchbearer, to be in charge of a martial arts competition is indeed overkill.

"I was asked to do this." Wu You smiled and sat down on the sofa. "Why are you standing? Everyone, sit down. I'm just here to go through the motions. Everyone, just go about your business."

The three of them exchanged a glance, then smiled and sat back down.

Chen Qingsong, being perceptive, didn't ask any further questions. He simply said, "Lord You, please rest for a while. The competition will begin in a bit," and then clapped his hands.

The door was gently pushed open, and a girl dressed in a white martial arts uniform walked in, carrying a wooden box in her arms.

The girl had her hair tied in a ponytail, her face still had a bit of baby fat, and her features were delicate; she looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.

"Lord You." She called out crisply, placed the wooden box on the table in front of Wu You, then took two steps back and stood there timidly.

Wu You opened the wooden box.

Inside lay a long sword, its blade semi-transparent, shimmering with three colors—red, blue, and cyan—that shifted and changed under the light.

A three-colored crystal longsword?

He raised an eyebrow.

Even if this item were kept within the Investigation Bureau, it would still cost over three thousand contribution points, which is definitely a considerable sum for these martial artists.

Wu You kept Lin Yuan's words in mind; it would be wrong not to accept them.

"Alright, I'll accept it." He closed the wooden box. "Thank you, Chairman Chen."

The group of people in white martial arts uniforms at the entrance saw this scene and they were quick to react.

That old fox, the guild leader! He's already got all the information about the new lord! Otherwise, why would he have sent his pretty granddaughter in with a sword?

Everyone gritted their teeth, but still had to wear smiles on their faces.

Then, Li Mingguang and Feng Shan exchanged a glance and stepped forward together.

"Lord You," Li Mingguang and Feng Shan both pulled out two thin booklets from their sleeves and handed them over with both hands, "We have a few sword manuals here, which record several sword techniques. You can flip through them when you are bored, as a pastime."

Sword manual?

Wu You's eyes lit up, and he took the booklet.

"Thank you." He put the booklet away and nodded to the two of them.

Li Mingguang retreated back into the crowd, glancing at Old Liu beside him out of the corner of his eye, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Old Liu, standing at the back of the crowd, saw this scene and his eyes widened. His lips moved a few times, and his eyes clearly said: Didn't you say you couldn't explain it clearly before? Old Li, you with thick eyebrows and big eyes, how could you pretend to be nice and trick me?

Li Mingguang ignored the look in his eyes, stood with his hands behind his back, and remained calm as if nothing had happened.

Then things got lively. With the president and others taking the lead, the others stopped holding back.

Some people brought medicinal herbs, while others brought first or second-tier universal energy stones.

Wu You and his colleagues accepted all the gifts offered.

Although these supplies were of little use to him, they were a considerable gain for his three colleagues in black trench coats.