Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Yue Changkong examined the token carefully for a moment before slowly withdrawing his gaze. "The token is genuine. The Yin-Yang patterns on it are Chen Xuanli's unique technique."

Chen Mo was startled, not expecting that the other party could see through his origins at a glance.

"Who is Chen Xuanli to you?" he asked directly.

"He's my grandfather." Chen Mo knew it was pointless to hide it, so he readily admitted it.

A complex glint flashed in Yue Changkong's eyes. He nodded slightly, and the invisible, scorching pressure emanating from his body subsided somewhat.

"I didn't expect to meet the grandson of the White Paper Yama here." He changed the subject, "How much of your family's Netherworld Paper-Making Technique did you inherit from him? What level have you reached?"

Chen Mo sensed the weight of the other party's words and had no choice but to answer truthfully: "When I returned to Yue to inspect, my family kept the first three levels of the technique, and I have only practiced up to the third level."

"The third floor..." Yue Changkong repeated in a low voice, as if he was weighing something.

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the three anxious Chen Dachuans in the distance before returning to Chen Mo.

"The matter in Linhe County is of utmost importance. Now is the time when we need people, especially those who know the ropes."

"Since you are Chen Xuanli's successor and also have a reserve identity in the Bureau of Suppressing Strange Things, you shall stay and serve."

"This situation is your perfect test." Yue Changkong didn't even ask Chen Mo's opinion before making the decision. "I will have someone escort your family out of the city safely. As for you, you will stay and assist in dealing with the strange events in the city."

"If you can achieve something here, I will acknowledge that you have passed the assessment and you can directly join my team."

Chen Mo's heart tightened, but now that the other party had said so much, he had no choice but to accept it.

"Yes, ma'am."

Yue Changkong nodded and instructed the officer beside him, "Battalion Commander Liu, note down the characteristics of those three men, let them pass through the third guard post on the east side, and let them leave on the Xuyang."

"The Rising Sun?" Battalion Commander Liu, standing nearby, paused slightly, then immediately straightened up. "Yes, sir! Understood! Deliver it safely!"

After Battalion Commander Liu left, Yue Changkong looked at Chen Mo again, "The Xuyang is the Zhenyi Bureau's internal vessel, safer than those ferries. Now, you can rest assured."

How can I feel at ease staying here?

Despite his inner slander, Chen Mo could only solemnly clasp his hands in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Inspector Yue."

"No need to thank me, this is what you exchanged for the value you left behind."

Yue Changkong stated the essence of the exchange in a calm tone, "From now on, you will be under my command for the time being."

"The waters of Linhe County run deep. Since you've mastered the third level of paper-making, your perception of yin energy should be quite advanced, which is perfect for you."

He turned slightly to the side, gesturing for Chen Mo and the others to follow, and headed towards a temporary camp at the dock.

The tent was dimly lit, with a few simple tables pieced together, on which lay a rough map of Linhe County, with several places heavily circled in ink.

Yue Changkong walked to the main seat but did not sit down. Instead, he tapped the western part of the city marked on the map with his knuckles.

"Linhe County is not large, but it is a confluence of waterways and a melting pot of all sorts of people. Besides the few forces that are visible, there is a lot of silt in the water."

He looked up at Chen Mo and said, "Recent investigations have revealed signs of unusual activity in Rat Alley, the old dock warehouse area, and the abandoned Dragon King Temple area downstream. It seems to be the work of those low-life gangs."

"The lowest of the low?" Chen Mo was somewhat unfamiliar with this term.

"Those who 'dig for the dead,' 'walk the underworld's convoy,' 'carry corpses'... these kinds of people are not part of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. They mostly make a living on the edge of Yin and evil spirits and strange things. Their methods are wicked and they often walk on the edge of taboos."

Yue Changkong's explanation was brief, but his words were chilling: "Normally, they live a life of ignominy, and the Zhenyi Division might not necessarily exterminate them, but at this moment, Linhe County cannot tolerate their existence."

He pointed to three marks on the map with his index finger.

"Your mission is to cooperate with Yue Shan's team to find their actual hideouts in these areas, and then..."

Yue Changkong's tone was chillingly cold: "Eliminate it."

"The Yueshan Squad will be responsible for the main kills. You need to make sure no one escapes and deal with any remaining underhanded tactics."

"This is real-world practice, and it's also a test."

"Let me see if Chen Xuanli's grandson has inherited any skills or courage besides blood."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing the other person pick up a teacup, Chen Mo tactfully took his leave and followed Yue Shan out of the tent.

"I never expected you to be the grandson of the White Paper Yama. I saw your family's paper-making secrets in the cultivation manual before."

Yue Shan, who was leading the way, didn't even turn his head, but his tone was somewhat unfriendly, "You're the one who wiped out the Black Tiger Gang, right? You were pretending to be stupid with me that day."

"Captain, I had no choice but to protect myself."

Chen Mo neither denied it nor offered much explanation.

There was no need to explain further; he believed the other party wouldn't make things difficult for him because of those few dead people.

Yue Shan stopped and turned around to stare at him for a few seconds.

"Kid, the first rule for working under me is not to treat the people in the team like idiots."

"You have your secrets and your methods, that's normal. Who in the Zhenyi Division doesn't have some hidden cards they don't want others to know?"

As he spoke, his gaze never left Chen Mo's eyes. "But during missions, on the battlefield, I need to know when you will use what methods, whether you will lose control, and whether you will implicate your teammates."

"I'm too lazy to delve into the Black Tiger Gang's affairs, but now that you've been temporarily assigned to my team, your life and my life are, in a way, intertwined."

"The captain is right." Chen Mo took a deep breath, looked up to meet Yue Shan's gaze, and said frankly, "This junior can guarantee that, now that I am under the captain's command, I will obey orders, do my best, and dare not do anything that would affect the mission."

Yue Shan stared at him for a while longer before the oppressive pressure gradually subsided and his tone softened slightly.

"Remember what you said. In the Zhenyi Division's team, the most important thing is reliability. Skills can be learned and experience can be accumulated, but those who are morally corrupt and cause the death of their teammates usually don't live long."

After Yue Shan finished speaking, he turned around and continued walking forward.

Chen Mo followed behind the other person, passing through the temporary passageway in the dock area, and walked towards a more heavily guarded area inside.

People in black uniforms could be seen hurrying back and forth along the way.

The two arrived at a large tent and lifted the heavy curtain.

The tent was slightly more messy than Yue Changkong's, but it had a more lived-in feel.

Several cots were placed along the side, and in the middle was a long table with a more detailed city defense map and some scattered files spread out on it. In the corner were several bulging bags and several metal boxes.

There were already three people inside the tent at this moment.

Zhou Ling, Zhao Tie, and another man Chen Mo had never met before.