"What do you know about your master, about Mount Wu?" Li Mu asked.
"I only know he was the thirty-first Sect Master of the Wu Sect," Chen Nan replied, shaking his head.
"Do you know why he was imprisoned?" Li Mu pressed.
"I know a little about that," Chen Nan said. "When I was in prison, I asked him. He said he was evading pursuit."
"Then haven't you ever thought about avenging him?" Li Mu inquired.
"I have, of course, but he always said that the grudges of one generation shouldn't be passed down to the next!" Chen Nan's face showed a hint of bitterness.
"Actually, your master was right. He was evading pursuit, but not from the enemies you imagine," Li Mu stated. "To be precise, he was evading punishment!"
"As far as I know, he came from the eighteenth small world, the so-called Hell."
"He's a fugitive from Hell!"
"And it was because of his escape that the order of the eighteenth small world was disrupted, leading to its collapse."
"The enforcers of Hell wanted to kill him, so he had to hide."
"Jizhou Prison became his sanctuary."
Chen Nan's heart was in turmoil. He had never imagined his master was a man from Hell! Even less so that the collapse of Hell was caused by his departure.
"You can probably guess that his identity as the Wu Sect Master was just a cover. His real name is Qing Zhi, and we don't know his cultivation level."
"But one thing is obvious: he's extremely powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape the eighteenth small world undetected."
"Even the enforcers of Hell only found out about his escape a year ago!"
Chen Nan suddenly understood. No wonder his master had suddenly 'passed away' a year ago. So that old man knew he had been discovered!
"Captain Li, how much do you know about the small worlds?" Chen Nan asked.
"Actually, I shouldn't tell you this. But since you're planning to join the Guardians, it's fine to tell you in advance."
"Let's talk at home!" Chen Nan invited the three into his residence. Xu Qingxin prepared tea and pastries before leaving, not wanting to be involved in too much.
"According to historical records, our Great Xia has eighteen small worlds," Li Mu began. "These eighteen small worlds are all attached to Earth, but unlike the mortal world, they are all ruled by cultivators!"
"The power hierarchy of these eighteen small worlds is also clear. World One is the strongest, and so on."
"What's different is that the eighteenth small world is known as Hell."
"It houses all the prisoners from the other seventeen small worlds."
"Don't ask me about the situation inside the small worlds. I can only say, those who understand will understand, and those who don't, even if I explain, you won't get it. Just know that the waters there are very deep."
Meng Kuo, munching on a pastry, interjected, "What our boss means is not that he doesn't know about the situation inside the small worlds!"
Li Mu felt like hitting him. "Damn it, why is this guy always siding with outsiders? Can't you give me some face?"
"Chen Nan, you don't need to feel too pressured about the cultivators from Hell entering Earth after its collapse," Qin Hongyu said reassuringly. "After all, our strength is no match for them. Enforcers from Hell will descend, and we just need to cooperate with their work."
Hearing this, Chen Nan felt a great burden lifted from his shoulders. If Hell enforcers were to appear, he wouldn't need to be overly anxious. After all, the sky would fall, but the tall ones would bear its weight.
"Since you want to join the Guardians, let's go and complete your induction process," Li Mu said. "Our office isn't far from here, about a ten-minute walk."
"Alright," Chen Nan agreed. After informing Xu Qingxin, he followed them to the Guardians' office. Upon arrival, Chen Nan was astonished. This wasn't an office at all; it was more like a grand princely mansion, though with fewer people inside.
"The full name of our organization is the Yanhuang Guardians, which simply means to protect the descendants of Yanhuang!" Li Mu explained as they walked, nodding to the people in the courtyard.
"A newcomer, we have a new recruit in Team Nine!"
"Don't look down on the newcomer, he's quite something." Meng Kuo, being quite boisterous, loudly proclaimed Chen Nan's strength to everyone they met.
"Elder Qin, I've found a promising talent and brought him here to complete his induction!" Li Mu announced to a white-haired elder in an ancient-looking room. "Chen Nan, twenty-two years old, residing at Building 6, Unit 1, Room 101, Jizhou Steel Plant. Clean background."
This elder was the Ninth Head of the Yanhuang Guardians, responsible for the vetting and registration of new disciples. Elder Qin looked at Chen Nan with a kind smile. "Not bad. At such a young age, you already possess Qi Refining level six cultivation. A good prospect!"
At these words, Chen Nan's heart trembled. Elder Qin appeared like an ordinary person, yet he could see through his cultivation at a glance. He suspected Elder Qin was a Foundation Establishment stage powerhouse.
Elder Qin smiled. "Shall we send him to Team One?"
"Elder Qin, please, don't do that," Li Mu pleaded with a dejected look. "Team One is already strong enough. Why send Chen Nan there?"
"Even putting that aside, he was recruited by me. He should belong to our Team Nine."
Chen Nan scoffed inwardly. What did he mean 'recruited by me'? I was the one who proactively offered to join the Guardians!
Elder Qin looked at Chen Nan. "Young man, do you wish to be in Team Nine or Team One?"
Chen Nan glanced at the crestfallen Li Mu, and the nervous Qin Hongyu and Meng Kuo, and said, "Team Nine, please!" He had, after all, become familiar with these three and didn't want to join another team. Even if Team Nine wasn't the strongest, wouldn't his joining improve the overall strength of the team?
"Alright, then you'll stay in Team Nine. From now on, if you have any matters, go directly to Li Mu," Elder Qin said, not pressing further. He processed Chen Nan's induction, giving him a special mobile phone and a certificate.
"Then we won't disturb you any longer, Elder," Li Mu said with a smile, then led Chen Nan and the others away.
Li Mu said solemnly, "Cherish this phone and certificate, especially the certificate."
"As you saw, our certificates have no photos. But they grant immense authority. In special circumstances, you can even mobilize the local law enforcement teams and the J-Team."
"If it's lost and someone else finds and uses it, it will cause a lot of trouble."
"As for the phone, all the numbers are encrypted. It won't ring under normal circumstances, but whenever it does, it signifies something important!"
"No matter where you are or what important matters you have, you must return to the team as quickly as possible!"
Chen Nan committed these words to memory. Just then, five burly figures approached them. The leader, with a playful smile, said, "I heard Team Nine has a new expert? How about a spar?"