Introduction to the Martial Arts Department, Shen Wan'er and Xiao Lin's Relationship Deepens

After leaving the Martial Arts Department,

Gu Yan returned to his car.

"What's the matter, Young Master? Something good happen?"

Old Gao glanced at Gu Yan through the rearview mirror, noticing the faint smirk on his lips, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Whenever the young master wore this expression, it meant one thing—

his heart was practically screaming: I'm delighted.

Those four words said it all.

"Tsk tsk, I just find the Peace Faction people a bit too naive. It almost makes me feel bad for them," Gu Yan remarked, shaking his head. "But never mind that. Let's head back, Old Gao."

Everything was just an act—a carefully crafted facade, sprinkled with just enough genuine emotion to let him gauge the Peace Faction members' true nature.

Aside from those he already knew, like Mei Xue, there were five other members of the Night Operations Special Investigation Team:

Li Chuan (Postnatal Martial Artist), Qin Rong (Innate Martial Artist), Chu Ge (Innate Martial Artist), Zhao Zilin (Innate Martial Artist), and Wang Yi (Postnatal Martial Artist).

Over the past month, he had thoroughly familiarized himself with each of their habits and personalities.

Additionally,

since many events had diverged from the original novel’s plot,

Gu Yan had taken the initiative to re-examine the Martial Arts Department’s structure in this world.

But the information he uncovered matched the original story perfectly.

The Martial Arts Department was divided into four factions:

—Peace Faction, Conservative Faction, Radical Faction, and Coexistence Faction.

Each faction was led by a department head, typically at the Grandmaster level or above.

Their ideologies, however, varied greatly.

The Peace Faction advocated for diplomacy, negotiation, and compromise to resolve conflicts.

They believed violence and war only bred more suffering, so they sought peaceful solutions.

The Conservative Faction prioritized tradition, order, and stability.

They clung tightly to existing values and systems, resisting any drastic changes.

The Radical Faction pursued their goals through any means necessary—

be it force, overthrowing the current order, or extreme actions.

From what he'd learned, their leader had repeatedly pushed for martial arts democratization—

lifting the secrecy around martial arts and letting the general public learn and practice it.

The Coexistence Faction, however, was the most peculiar.

They believed everything had a right to exist.

Even demons (mo-wu)—humans should strive to coexist with them in harmony.

Because of this philosophy, every member of the Coexistence Faction fought alongside one or more demonic partners.

As for Bai Jun, Li Chuan, Qin Rong, and the others... they belonged to the Peace Faction.

Bai Jun, in particular, was being groomed as the faction’s next leader.

Beyond these basics,

the most crucial distinction between the Martial Arts Department and the traditional martial world was...

Silver Qi.

Silver Qi wasn’t naturally occurring—it was artificially cultivated by extracting and refining energy factors from demons.

Every year, the Martial Arts Department conducted compatibility tests on its members.

Those who could withstand its power would gain the ability to wield Silver Qi.

This energy... was devastatingly effective against demons.

When paired with specialized Silver Qi techniques, its potency multiplied exponentially.

Thus, martial artists who wielded Silver Qi were known as—

Demon-Slaying Martial Artists.

And Bai Jun was one of them, his future shining bright.

At this thought, Gu Yan snapped out of his reflections.

Honestly, it was exhausting.

In this world, aside from the final boss, the Night King,

there were countless hidden demons lurking in the shadows, waiting to be dealt with.

Effectively, everyone was juggling two battles—fighting demons while also handling the Night King.

As for how these demons came to be, or where they originated...

Gu Yan could only shrug—

How should I know? The novel never explained it!

After the Night King and the protagonists annihilated each other, the author just... dropped the story.

Gu Yan sighed. The novel might’ve been abandoned, but this world was very much real.

And that left him with too many unpredictable variables.

But whatever—it wasn’t like he’d ever get tangled up with demons anyway.

Why bother worrying?

"Squeak!"

...Er—

Well, Zhua Zhua didn’t count. She was family.

"Squeak..."

......

......

Leng Family Estate

"We’re here, Young Master."

By the time Gu Yan finished playing with Zhua Zhua, they had already arrived.

"Good. Inform Tao Ying of the Peach Blossom Society about the plan for the day after tomorrow," he instructed.

"Tell her not to mess it up."

Old Gao nodded. "Understood, Young Master. Also... regarding Shen Wan'er and Xiao Lin, there’s been some progress."

Hearing this,

Gu Yan’s interest was piqued. He turned to Old Gao. "Details. Now."

"..."

Ignoring his young master’s blunt internet slang,

Old Gao paused briefly before reporting:

"With Xiao Lin’s help, Shen Wan'er’s company has regained its footing and even expanded."

"But that success came with its own set of problems—chief among them, pressure from her family."

"They demanded she give their relatives cushy jobs—high positions with fat salaries."

"Shen Wan'er refused, insisting that if they wanted work, they’d start from the bottom like everyone else. Pay would depend on merit."

"This didn’t sit well with her parents, who felt humiliated in front of their relatives. Tensions flared."

"But the real breaking point was something else entirely."

"Her parents tried to force her into an arranged marriage with some young master from a prominent family—

while handing her company over to her younger brother, Shen Tian."

"Shen Wan'er blew up at them. In defiance, she dragged Xiao Lin to the Shen household as a human shield—

declaring him her boyfriend."

"Since Shen Tian knew Xiao Lin was just an orphaned security guard,

her parents lost it."

"That same day, Shen Wan'er packed her things and moved out, settling in with Xiao Lin at Chunshan Apartments."

"Meanwhile, Shen Tian reverted to his old ways—

constantly threatening to kill himself unless his sister gave him money."

"Xiao Lin stepped in to comfort her, and thanks to the 'assistance' you arranged a month ago,

their relationship warmed up considerably."

"But they still haven’t crossed that final line."

"That’s all."

Old Gao fell silent.

Gu Yan listened, his smirk growing wider by the second.

Ohoho, isn’t this just textbook plot progression?

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

A security guard. A fake boyfriend. Living together. Life-and-death bonds...

All that’s left is... waiting for the right moment!

Hehehe~!

Seems like this storyline is ripe for harvest!

Gu Yan’s grin nearly split his face. Excellent!

And he already had the perfect moment in mind—

An event that would finally make them bare their hearts to each other!