Chapter 229: “Interview”

On Daqu Street, there was a courier station, and in front of it were two mahogany tables and chairs.

Behind one of the tables sat a young man in a gray brocade robe, a jade ornament at his waist, and a golden-thread embroidery of a small rhombus-shaped dagger on his chest. He sat in a relaxed manner, one hand resting on the table while the other held a teacup, sipping leisurely.

This man was none other than an officially registered Golden Guard—Yang Wang!

“Golden Guard Yang, this brother here is quite interested in the Golden Guard. Would you take a look at him?” Zhou Zhongtian introduced Gu Ning’an while also giving him a knowing glance.

Gu Ning’an returned the look and then took a seat opposite Yang Wang, waiting for him to speak.

Yang Wang sized up Gu Ning’an, then picked up the pen and paper on the table and asked, “Name?”

“Gu Ning’an.”

“Age?”

“Twenty.”

“How skilled are you in combat?”

“I know a little.”

“Have you seen a demon before?”

“I have.”

“Oh?” Yang Wang dipped his brush in ink and continued, “How did you escape from them?”

“I didn’t provoke them—I just walked away.”

Yang Wang frowned. “You’re quite lucky. If you encounter a fierce demon, would you dare to fight?”

“I would.”

Plop!

Yang Wang set down his brush and said indifferently, “Alright, you can become an External Agent of the Golden Guard.”

Upon hearing this, before Gu Ning’an could speak, Zhou Zhongtian interjected, “Golden Guard Yang, is that all? I think Brother Gu looks a bit thin—shouldn’t we ask a bit more…”

“You think I need you to teach me how to do my job?” Yang Wang sneered and pushed the freshly written document toward Gu Ning’an. “Sign here, and you’ll officially be an External Agent of the Golden Guard.”

The term External Agent wasn’t hard to understand—it was likely what Zhou Zhongtian had referred to as an “outsourced temp worker.”

But even for a temp job, wasn’t this interview process a bit too hasty?

And from the way Yang Wang acted, it seemed that offering this temporary position was already considered an act of “great generosity”—he hadn’t even bothered to explain the salary or benefits.

Glancing at the document in front of him, the upper portion was a contract, while the lower part contained the notes Yang Wang had just written.

The contract itself was straightforward, with only a few words—essentially a “temporary employment agreement.”

But the notes Yang Wang had written were rather interesting.

Aside from Gu Ning’an’s name and age, there was a line of what appeared to be an evaluation:

[Brimming with youthful vigor, righteous to the core, able to recognize demons, fearless in battle!]

The assessment made Gu Ning’an feel both amused and speechless. The questions Yang Wang had asked him hardly matched this grandiose description—maybe barely connected at best.

“What are you waiting for? Sign it.” Yang Wang urged impatiently.

Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Golden Guard Yang, I asked about the benefits of joining the Golden Guard earlier, but I don’t think you’ve answered me yet.”

“Oh… that…” After a brief hesitation, Yang Wang beckoned Zhou Zhongtian over and whispered something in his ear.

Then, he stood up, left a casual “Let External Agent Zhou explain it to you—I have other matters to attend to,” and turned to walk back into the courier station.

Once Golden Guard Yang had walked away, Zhou Zhongtian turned his back to the post station and spat fiercely. “What a load of crap.”

“What’s the matter?” Gu Ning’an asked with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhongtian sat in Golden Guard Yang’s previous seat, leaned toward the table, and lowered his voice. “That bastard told me to trick you, to say that becoming an External Agent is just like becoming an official, and that as long as you work hard, you’ll definitely be promoted to a Golden Guard.”

“But that’s not even the worst part… The monthly pay for External Agent is supposed to be five taels of silver… but he told me to tell you it’s three taels, and insisted that I find a way to keep you here!”

“That skinflint bastard! When it comes to fighting monsters, External Agents are sent in first, and now he’s even thinking about skimming off the top of the money we risk our lives for? He’s a damn beast!”

Seeing Zhou Zhongtian fuming with rage, Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Brother Zhou, calm down. Some people are simply like that—they love using their minuscule authority to make life as difficult as possible for others.”

“Just think of it this way—such petty tyranny often ends up backfiring on them.”

“Mr. Gu is right! These bastards will get their comeuppance sooner or later!” Zhou Zhongtian agreed. Then, as if something came to mind, he asked, “Sir, are you planning to stay in Four Corners Town for a while?”

Gu Ning’an nodded. “Yes, though I’m not sure how long. But it won’t be a short stay.”

“That works too!”

Zhou Zhongtian covered his mouth with his hand and continued, “Being an External Agent is like being a stepchild, but at the very least, food and lodging are included… The conditions might not be great, but saving on meals and accommodation while traveling is still a good deal!”

“If you’re willing, you could just take on a single task as an External Agent.”

Gu Ning’an asked, “Just one task? What do you mean?”

“Listen to me first—I’ll break down the pros and cons, and then you can decide whether you want to do it.”

With that, Zhou Zhongtian explained everything in detail, making sure to cover every angle.

Perhaps he genuinely wanted Gu Ning’an to earn some money while saving on food and lodging.

As he spoke, he was thorough to the point of being excessive, even revealing some things that weren’t supposed to be shared.

First, the Golden Guard was founded by the youngest daughter of Prince Ye, a member of the imperial family of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Prince Ye was the youngest brother of the old emperor of Great Wu and was only around forty years old.

It was said that his daughter was chosen by the Hunling Immortal Sect, a sect beyond the Northern Desolate Sky, when she was twelve and was taken away to cultivate the Dao.

Six years after she entered the sect, she returned home and somehow persuaded her father to petition the old emperor to establish an independent demon-hunting organization—the Golden Guard.

According to rumors, the young princess was meant to leave worldly matters behind upon entering the sect, but she couldn’t bear to see the people of Great Wu suffer under the ravages of demons.

Thus, she knelt outside the sect’s gates for several months before an immortal finally permitted her to return and help the people of Great Wu.

When the Golden Guard was established, she left behind three artifacts as the foundation of the organization:

The first was a bronze mirror, said to ward off and subdue demons, which was kept in the capital of Great Wu.

The second was a bronze statue imbued with mystical power. Those who worshiped it could have their past demon-slaying deeds revealed, and depending on the number of demons they had killed, the statue would release an aura that strengthened their bodies.

The third was a jade incense stick. When burned, its smoke could reinforce armor and sharpen weapons.

The first two artifacts were things that not even a Golden Guard like Yang Wang had ever seen, let alone an External Agent like Zhou Zhongtian.

Only the “jade incense”-enhanced weapons were something that External Agents could occasionally use—though only the leftovers discarded by the Golden Guard.

At this point, Zhou Zhongtian glanced around cautiously before pulling a curved bronze plate from inside his collar.

The plate was rusted and covered in numerous scratches and dents, as if it had been struck repeatedly by something.

According to Zhou Zhongtian, this was a piece of chest armor that had been enhanced by the jade incense.

It was thanks to this second-hand armor that he had survived many near-fatal encounters.

Examining it closely, Gu Ning’an could indeed see a faint trace of mystical energy lingering around the piece.