"Since I will receive no money, can you provide me with other benefits?" Based on what the middle-aged man was saying, Zhou Kai knew that he would most likely not be able to receive any money. Hence, he proposed other conditions immediately.
The middle-aged man laughed. "What kind of benefits do you want?"
Zhou Kai's gaze changed slightly before he said in anticipation, "Make me a public servant that does not need to complete any missions or work but will still receive a monthly salary on time. I don't need much. Just around 8,000 to 10,000 dollars would do. Then, give me a new identity so that I can avoid…"
Before Zhou Kai could finish speaking, the middle-aged man's face darkened and he cut him off directly. "Aren't you thinking too much? I would like to have such a job as well. Why don't you arrange one for me?"
Zhou Kai pouted and said, "Brother, you are a member of the Analogous Department. Why is such an impressive department unable to arrange a simple job like this?"
The middle-aged man replied in displeasure, "So you do know that I am a member of the Analogous Department and not an ordinary administration unit. I have no authority to be involved in such matters."
Zhou Kai did not give up. "What about the Analogous Department? Are there no public servants present? The pay doesn't matter."
The middle-aged man grinned. "Of course there are. However, it is no easy feat to enter the Analogous Department. There are background checks and tests. Also, you need a recommendation from at least three official employees. It is certainly a much more difficult process than becoming a public servant. Besides, the funds of the Analogous Department are limited right now and we are over-staffed. Even I am concerned and terrified, as I heard that there are plans to lay off employees."
Zhou Kai was dumbfounded. "Seriously?"
The middle-aged man sighed, took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and extracted one from the box. After blowing out the cigarette smoke, he said, "We have no choice. Human technological advancements are simply too fast, causing our research and development department to act like they are on steroids and invent numerous weapons and tools that can replace manpower. Back in the day, the Analogous Department was made up of many people. Hundreds of comrades were working together in Anyang City then. As a result, any demons, spirits, or monsters that appeared would be eliminated quickly. However, after the invention of various weapons that can deal with evil anomalies, in combination with the fact that we frightened away any demons, spirits, or monsters that appeared, there have been no more incidents to take care of. They either ran, hid away, or died. The world regained its peace. Consequently, the Analogous Department became a government department that makes no profit. It is getting harder for us to get by nowadays."
Zhou Kai had nothing to say.
He had not expected that the lofty Analogous Department would actually be facing a demotion.
"Which school do you want me to attend?" Little Leopard Cat piqued up suddenly.
The middle-aged man said, "I'm not sure, for my level of authority is not high enough."
"Then can I bring Big Brother along?" Little Leopard Cat asked.
Stunned, Zhou Kai looked at Little Leopard Cat.
However, he did not object.
If there was a school that taught things systematically, he could definitely obtain information and learn secrets about this world faster and in more detail.
The middle-aged man was stunned momentarily before he shook his head and admitted, "I'm not sure myself. However, it is said that this schooling plan was collaboratively organized by the Dao Alliance and the Analogous Department. The school's address and name are still confidential for now. I believe that no one can enter without obtaining an invitation first."
Little Leopard Cat asked, "What if Big Brother is my spirit owner?"
The middle-aged man replied, "I'm not sure about that. I'll contact you again when I hear any news about it."
He then added, "Alright, I'll handle everything here. Please stay safe. The department recently issued a level-two alert, which is something done only during wartime. I don't know what happened myself. However, based on the experience I have accumulated over the years through fighting with evil anomalies, it is nothing good."
Zhou Kai and Little Leopard Cat left after leaving their contact number.
When they walked out of the villa, Zhou Kai looked at Little Leopard Cat and said with a solemn expression, "I'm truly grateful that you want to bring me along to learn, Little Leopard Cat. However, a soul contract is a serious matter so I cannot accept it."
Little Leopard Cat said, "Big Brother, didn't you want to know more about cultivation? This is a good opportunity for you."
Zhou Kai smiled. "I do, but I'm not willing to owe a debt I can't repay. I don't wish to cause you trouble either."
Little Leopard Cat fell silent.
After eating breakfast at a place nearby and buying some snacks at the supermarket, Zhou Kai led Little Leopard Cat back to the small courtyard.
He found a metal shovel inside the courtyard. Then, he found a stretch of empty land on the mountain nearby, dug a huge hole, and buried the clothes of the body the Fox Spirit Lady had possessed.
Zhou Kai handed the villa's keys and access cards to the Analogous Department but kept 1,000 dollars of the money in the wallet.
He had no choice because he was too poor. Even if he found a job, he would not be able to get paid immediately. Besides, the thing he was lacking the most currently was money.
Therefore, he took 1,000 dollars and erected a gravestone for the old lady that had been killed by an evil anomaly so that she could rest in peace. The 1,000 dollars would then be considered his labor fees.
A man without money is no man at all, but there are proper ways to obtain money.
After doing all that, Zhou Kai burned incense and prayed for the old lady. Then, he left with a peaceful heart.
Afterward, Zhou Kai started to humbly consult Little Leopard Cat, who was eating snacks, drinking coke, and watching cartoons.
He did not know when she was going to leave. Before that happened, he wanted to gain sufficient knowledge about this fantastic world so that he would at least recognize his opponents should he encounter any evil anomalies in the future.
He lost himself in this magnificent world in the following question-and-answer session.
Since ancient times, many organisms have been born and a lot of miracles have occurred.
Thanks to their frightening procreation speed and spirit of solidarity, humans became the overlords of heaven and earth.
However, other living entities such as demon spirits and evil anomalies existed as well.
Those demon spirits included beasts, plants, and inanimate objects that gained intelligence after being created by heaven and earth.
On the other hand, evil anomalies did not possess a physical body. Connate evil anomalies were created by heaven and earth but they were few in number. They were very terrifying and temperamental, thus unable to be described in terms of good and evil. Evil anomalies created by other strange means possessed a myriad of capabilities. Some of them were as frightening as average connate evil anomalies. Others were extremely weak, like human toddlers, capable of performing some pranks, but otherwise harmless.
Little Leopard Cat does not know where human cultivators originate from. According to the memory she inherited, they've existed since ancient times. Without the presence of human cultivators, any number of humans would have been no match for evil anomalies and demon spirits.
As for human cultivators, they used various kinds of cultivation techniques along with 3,000 Dao paths and 8,000 minor ways.
However, after some time passed, the cultivation world seemed to suffer from the intentional suppression of the heavens and the next generations grew weaker. Today, the number of demon spirits and evil anomalies has decreased significantly, and the cultivators have suffered a decline. This new generation is much worse than the previous ones.