QiYe's expression gradually became strange as he looked at Wen QiMo.
Wen QiMo chuckled lightly. "Just kidding. I noticed you seemed pretty tense back there, so I thought I'd help you relax a little."
He gazed into QiYe's eyes, his expression softening. "After all, anyone who witnessed such a brutal battle would have a hard time walking away easily. Especially since you're still just a high school student."
QiYe froze for a moment.
He bit his lip, falling silent.
What Wen QiMo said was true. Even QiYe hadn't noticed how bad his mental state had become.
He had witnessed Zhao Kongcheng's death, fought for his life against the Ghost Face King, left behind the small, familiar harbor he had known for years, and joined the Nightwatchers—a strange and dangerous world all on his own...
Though he appeared relatively mature, at his core, he was still a teenager.
In the face of such overwhelming changes, the weight on his shoulders had become almost suffocating.
"When I was sitting there earlier, I could tell you weren't doing well," Wen QiMo continued, "And it's not just me. Hong Ying saw it too. That's why she invited you to stay at her place. If she hadn't been holding back her sadness, she wouldn't have been laughing and bickering with the captain and vice-captain."
"You may not know her well yet, but when you do, you'll see... she's incredibly kind."
QiYe paused. He remembered vividly the scene when he carried Zhao Kongcheng out in the rain—Hong Ying had been crying uncontrollably. Now, recalling her gentle smile from earlier, it seemed like she was hiding a deep sorrow beneath it.
But... if she was so heartbroken, why did she still try to care for him?
"Actually, not just me and Hong Ying. The others noticed it too. Except for Xiaonan, who's a bit of a simpleton, and Leng Xuan, who's like an ice block. The captain can be a little proud, so he uses Hong Ying to lighten the mood, while Xiaonan is just too shy to speak up."
Wen QiMo turned and continued up the stairs, speaking lazily.
"Before you came, you probably thought the Nightwatchers were a bunch of cold, emotionless killing machines. But once you've been here for a while, you'll realize that's not really the case..."
QiYe followed Wen QiMo down to the first floor, passed through the office lobby used for camouflage, and pushed open the door.
It was already late at night.
The bustling Peace Bridge was eerily silent, and the ground still held traces of the rain. The entire street was deserted, except for the Peace Affairs Office, which was still operating.
"Before I came, I thought the Nightwatchers were a huge organization, located in some isolated military zone, with fighter jets and tanks, and constant military drills," QiYe said, gazing at the quiet street scene.
Wen QiMo was stunned. He turned to look at QiYe, unable to stop himself from laughing. "Funny, that's exactly what I thought before I joined. Those sci-fi movies make it seem like that, right?"
He raised his head, staring at the dim moonlight in the sky. "But, even though we don't have a military zone with jets and tanks, the Nightwatchers are still a pretty large organization."
"Then why are there only six of you?"
"Because the Nightwatchers aren't like military forces," Wen QiMo shook his head. "The kind of centralized management you're talking about, like in a military zone, may be efficient, but it has a fatal flaw... low mobility."
"For example, if a mythological creature appeared in Cangnan City today, local police would have to confirm it and send the information to a base in Shangjing City. The base would review it, then send people here to investigate. It'd take at least two days to get anything started."
"And in those two days, many people might die."
"So the best solution is to station a team of Nightwatchers in every city. If a mythological creature is detected, the local team handles the investigation and elimination directly."
"We are the Nightwatchers stationed in Cangnan City."
QiYe pondered. "No wonder your team has such clear roles. Everyone has their own strengths."
"Exactly. From main combat power, battle support, and long-range assistance, to managing the big picture... each person has their role, and they complement each other. That's the standard model for every stationed team."
"What happens if a city's local Nightwatchers can't handle a mythological creature?"
"Then we request support from special teams." Wen QiMo extended four fingers. "In the Great Xia Empire, besides the Nightwatchers stationed in each city, there are also four special teams. They don't stay in any one city, but when a city faces a problem that the local Nightwatchers can't handle, they're dispatched."
"They don't have team numbers. They only have codenames, which are the glory of their special units."
"Special teams, huh..." QiYe asked curiously, "Have you ever seen one?"
"I haven't seen them in person, but two years ago, in the neighboring Huaihai City, three mythological creatures from the sea appeared simultaneously and nearly caused a disaster."
"Later, a special team called 'The Faceless Six' appeared. They wiped out all the creatures in just one night!" Wen QiMo's eyes shimmered with longing. "I heard that the next morning, the bay was stained red with the blood of the creatures, and the Faceless team had already quietly moved on to the next city."
"Sounds pretty cool."
"Right?"
"Do they recruit people?"
"Of course, but their requirements are strict." Wen QiMo sighed. "First, members of a special team must at least be at the peak of the Chuan Realm."
"Peak of the Chuan Realm... What's the highest level among you six?"
"The captain. He's also in the Chuan Realm, but he's far from the peak." Wen QiMo continued, "And to join a special team, just having the right level isn't enough. You also need to have something... special."
"Something special?"
"Like having a dangerous Forbidden Void sequence, in the top 80; or mastering a specific field to perfection, like being a Grandmaster of the sword or the blade; or... being an agent of a god."
"Agent of a god? Is that considered special?"
"...What kind of nonsense is that?" Wen QiMo shot QiYe a look, filled with envy. "You're an archangel's agent, so you think god agents are as common as cabbages on the street?"
"Aren't they?" QiYe asked, confused.
"Of course not!" Wen QiMo hadn't seen someone so shameless before. "God agents working for the gods on the human side are incredibly rare. There are only about eight or nine in the entire Nightwatchers, and they're mostly scattered across special teams or are the heads of large Nightwatcher teams in major cities. They're extremely important figures!"
"Damn, I'm really jealous of you."
Wen QiMo cursed lightly, then sighed helplessly. "You have so much potential. Once you grow stronger, Cangnan City won't be able to hold you... You might even end up as the captain of a Nightwatcher team in Shangjing, or join a special team and run all over the world. Becoming the leader of one of those teams wouldn't be out of the question either."
"Anyway, your future is limitless."