The spacious office, in front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the vast nightscape.
As the mysterious being before him made a light gesture, a trickle of information flowed into his mind, and Pei Hongjing suddenly understood.
The world was falling.
Endless disaster.
The Torch.
The Chosen One.
"I am the one chosen by destiny?"
At this moment, he no longer believed it was the work of some awakened.
He had seen awakened before.
He was not unaware of the 'big shots' in the Investigation Bureau.
But those wild, awakened beings? They weren't even fit to carry his shoes!
Pei Hongjing took a few deep breaths, a guess forming in his mind: the Torch must be some ancient, hidden organization. They had chosen him now, and this was an immense opportunity.
Whether it was for the declining Pei Group, for himself, or for the safety of those around him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
But, as this being had said and the scenes had shown, the future was fraught with danger, and this path was even more so.
Although Pei Hongjing yearned for it, he was also nervous and afraid.
What would he have to pay?
Was it money?
The Pei Group certainly had money, and many of its industries were still lying dormant. Supporting the Torch with them would be no problem. But what would he gain by paying this price?
He didn't ask directly, of course, but simply stated, "The Pei Group can support the development of the Torch."
The mysterious being, bathed in golden light, chuckled and shook its head.
"I don't deny that the Torch needs some real financial support to emerge, but the true reason for choosing you is..."
"You are a person of destiny, with potential you haven't even discovered yourself."
**Pei Hongjing**
**Physique: 1.3**
**Spirit: 1.3**
**Mystery: 0.05**
**Skills: None**
**Talent: Prodigal Spendthrift**
—
**Description: The possessor of this talent possesses extraordinary luck with wealth. Furthermore, the more wealth they spend, the faster their cultivation (exercise, skill training) increases. They have a unique advantage when learning and utilizing 'money-based' skills (those that consume significant resources).**
As Fang You, whose body was now a pale gold, scanned Pei Hongjing's status panel, he extended a finger and gently pointed.
A distant point.
The scene before Pei Hongjing changed again, becoming gloomy and extremely sinister. But this time, he was not just an observer; he was an experiencer.
Within this special space, he learned as if he were a puppet.
When Pei Hongjing returned to his office, he could no longer stand. He collapsed softly to the ground, but as he slowly recovered from the shock and fear, he discovered...
He was unharmed. And more importantly... he had learned a very special ability.
The ability to see malevolent spirits!
Some awakened individuals possessed such abilities, but their awakened powers were random and uncontrollable, nor could they be passed on to others. Yet, he had now learned it with a single point from this mysterious being, as if receiving divine enlightenment.
He learned it in one second.
His gaze was fervent, yet tinged with awe. He immediately reaffirmed, "The Pei Group will fully cooperate with the Torch!"
...
The next day,
At the high-speed rail station in Shuize Prefecture's capital city, at the south exit.
Pei Hongjing arrived early in the morning with his bodyguards.
His Pei Group had many capable people who could handle such reception work, and they were quite professional. The Pei family even had related businesses in tourism.
But the person he was to receive today was a strong figure from that organization... no, from our Torch, a senior member with higher standing than himself.
Pei Hongjing, having reached this point, would certainly not overlook any details. Not only was he present in person, but he had also arrived much earlier.
He waited silently, without a hint of impatience.
After a while, Pei Hongjing saw the person he needed to receive.
He was very conspicuous.
Dressed in a black trench coat, wearing black sunglasses, a mask, and a beret, he carried a long, rectangular case, much larger than a guitar case.
"Mr. Black Blade?"
"It is I."
Pei Hongjing extended his hand and shook Black Blade's gloved palm. He said with a smile, "I am Pei Hongjing of the Pei Group. Mr. Black Blade, we have already prepared a hotel suite for you. Shall we rest first or..."
"Let's go directly to the mission location."
Pei Hongjing nodded, also getting a general sense of Black Blade's personality. He said, "Please follow me."
Black Blade nodded and refused the bodyguard who offered to carry the case.
He carried the black weapon case into a business van, sat in the back seat, and gently placed the weapon case down.
**Bang—**
The business van visibly sagged slightly. The accompanying bodyguard's eyes widened as he looked at the long, black case, then at the man in the black trench coat. Fortunately, he hadn't offered to carry the case earlier.
The driver drove, while Pei Hongjing sat in the back, chatting with Black Blade.
"The target this time is a high-end resort under our Pei Group, equipped with a hotel, hot springs, a gym, and so on. It can be utilized with minor modifications."
"However, there are wandering malevolent spirits within that resort, and even large ones."
With the Pei family's status and connections, they could pull strings to persuade the Investigation Bureau, or hire malevolent spirit hunters themselves, and would be capable of eradicating the spirits.
But within the resort, after investigation by agents, it was determined that there was at least one terrifying, large malevolent spirit.
The group had no choice but to abandon it.
Handing over this resort, while it was true that the current Pei Group couldn't utilize it and faced little resistance, was also due to the fact that it had everything. The location was good too; it wasn't in the city, ensuring privacy, yet it wasn't too far, with convenient transportation for travel or transporting goods.
But a large malevolent spirit...
He looked at Black Blade.
Black Blade said, "Not a problem."
...
The convoy drove for over an hour before arriving outside the Pei Group's resort.
From a distance, one could see the beautiful scenery on the mountain. Ancient-style buildings stood atop it, shrouded in mist, resembling a fairy realm.
The scenery was still beautiful, but the resort had long ceased operations, with fallen leaves accumulating. Warning signs were posted around the area. Now, not a single soul could be seen.
Pei Hongjing got out of the car, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the resort not far away.
A faint wind of corruption wafted, seeming extremely dense in the distance, though he couldn't see clearly.
As expected, there were malevolent spirits.
Multiple malevolent spirits.
He had brought several bodyguards, and this time he had also summoned two security consultants hired by the Pei Group at great expense – two awakened individuals.
However, they looked at the resort with hesitation and fear.
"Director Pei, this is not what was stated in the contract."
"Right, right. We are only responsible for security, not for this kind of wild malevolent spirit eradication business. There are even large malevolent spirits inside this resort."
"Director Pei, for safety reasons, we shouldn't enter this place."
The two awakened individuals advised.
Dealing with a large malevolent spirit? That was absolutely impossible, without exception.
Pei Hongjing ignored them and simply looked at Black Blade.
Black Blade looked up and glanced into the distance. "Six malevolent spirits, two of them two-star."
He put down the long, black case, unlocked it with a click, picked up an incredibly exaggerated greatsword, and walked step by step towards the resort.