Chapter 309 The Seventh Division

"Who are you, really!?" Qin Chao could feel that the woman in front of him was no ordinary person. He asked coldly, "Are you from the Yimei sect!?"

Qin Chao realized that the technique the woman had just used was clearly the Substitute Technique of Yimei Sect.

"Tsk tsk, you've got quite the sharp eyes." The woman laughed, "My name is Xi. Although I use the Substitute Technique, I'm not one of those stinky Taoists from Yimei Sect."

"Kid, it's just a small spell I taught her." As the woman's words fell, a man's voice came from a nearby tree.

Qin Chao was shocked that there were others nearby, and he hadn't noticed!

Following the voice, he saw a figure wearing a black jacket sitting on a tree. The man grinned, holding a can of Sprite and toasting to Qin Chao.

"It's you!" Qin Chao suddenly remembered this man! Back at Guangyuan School, this man had helped him enter the barrier and find Su Ji. But afterwards, he couldn't find any trace of this man, as if he had never appeared at all.

"That's right, I'm Li Baishan." The man said as his figure suddenly disappeared. When he reappeared, he was in front of Qin Chao.

Instant Shrink! This technique was a secret of the Yimei Sect.

"You're from Yimei Sect, right?" Qin Chao also figured out Li Baishan's sect. If he wasn't from Yimei Sect, how could he know so much about their techniques?

"That's right, but not anymore."

Li Baishan took out an ID from his pocket and showed it to Qin Chao briefly.

On it were a row of gold-embossed characters and a national emblem.

"I'm now part of the Seventh Division of the National Security Department, and I'm the head of the division." Li Baishan laughed, "Today, I'm here to invite you to join the Seventh Division."

"Not everyone is qualified to join, you know!" Xi added with a twist of her waist, "It's a department with great power."

"Are you also a member of the Seventh Division?" Qin Chao didn't answer, but asked Xi instead.

For some reason, this woman gave Qin Chao a heart-pounding feeling. Could it be that Xi was a natural enchantress with a fatal allure for men?

"Hehe, I can't tell you that." Xi laughed, "Even members of the Seventh Division don't know the identities of all their teammates. They only find out when they work together on a mission."

"The Seventh Division is a very mysterious department," Li Baishan explained, "Everyone who enters the Seventh Division has some mysterious abilities. The country will only mobilize these people for missions when absolutely necessary."

Li Baishan continued, tossing out his bait, "If you join the Seventh Division, you'll enjoy a high level of power. At that point, even if you kill some insignificant people, you'll have a license to kill."

"Sorry, I'm still not interested," Qin Chao shrugged. He didn't want to become anyone's weapon. As a cultivator, his only pursuits were the Heavenly Dao and freedom.

If he lost his freedom, what would be the point of cultivation?

"Don't worry, I won't restrict your freedom," Li Baishan saw through Qin Chao's thoughts and explained, "It's just that in some necessary situations, we'll need you to complete some tasks that others can't. Of course, we'll reward you with a corresponding salary based on the level of the task."

Li Baishan continued, suddenly mentioning, "Didn't you make a deal with Su Xianqin about earning five million? Joining the Seventh Division would make it easy for you to achieve that. Sometimes, it could just take one mission."

Li Baishan threw out such an enticing proposition. But at the same time, Qin Chao was also surprised, "How do you know about our agreement?"

As far as he could remember, only he, Su Xianqin, and his family were present at the time... and apparently, a few bodyguards too!

Good heavens, did the Seventh Division have such impressive reach that they even infiltrated Su Xianqin's bodyguards?

"Don't be too surprised. This is the Seventh Division - anything is possible," Li Baishan said nonchalantly as he sipped his Sprite. "Besides, you know your little girlfriend, Su Ji, is being sent to the United States. It's such a chaotic country, and the Skeleton's influence is strongest there. Aren't you worried that they might take her out while she's abroad?"

"What?!" Qin Chao suddenly recalled this issue. Yes, if Su Ji went abroad, he wouldn't be there to protect her!

How could he forget about the damn Skeleton? That venomous snake lurking in the shadows could strike at any moment.

"Don't worry," Li Baishan patted Qin Chao's shoulder and threw in another chip. "If you join the Seventh Division, Su Ji's safety won't be an issue. We have experts in the United States who can protect her from the Skeleton's threats. Even if they can't hold them off, they can help her escape and buy you enough time to save her."

Qin Chao had to admit, he was tempted. Nothing was more important to him than Su Ji's safety.

Wasn't his purpose of cultivating so hard to gain formidable power, to destroy the entire Skeleton, and protect Su Ji from any harm?

Now that such an opportunity was presented to him, Qin Chao knew he shouldn't hesitate.

"Can you really do it?" He needed to be sure, as he didn't want to be deceived and unknowingly become someone's pawn.

"Don't worry, this is nothing for the Seventh Division," Li Baishan laughed. "Think about it, after you complete your missions and earn five million within a year, you'll be reunited with your lover sooner. Joining us has no downsides for you."

"Alright, I'll join you," Qin Chao took a deep breath, as if making an important decision. "But if Su Ji is in any danger, we're done."

"Don't worry, consider it a condition in our agreement," Li Baishan said, magically producing a can of Coke and handed it to Qin Chao. "Come on, let's toast to our cooperation."

"Why don't I get one?" Xi asked resentfully from the side.

"Men are talking; women shouldn't interrupt!" Li Baishan's attitude towards Xi had turned cold. "Just stand aside."

"Hmph! Insensitive Daoist!" Xi turned her head and stood aside.

"You're really not gentle with girls..." Qin Chao felt conflicted, watching how Li Baishan treated Xi.

"She's just a soulless doll, so there's no need to be polite to her," Li Baishan chuckled and crushed the can in his hand.

"A soulless doll?" Qin Chao didn't quite understand. "I don't get what you mean."

"A hundred years ago, she was once my wife," Li Baishan glanced at Xi, who was wearing a mask, and for a moment his eyes revealed a hint of affection. But the feeling quickly faded. "Sadly, she died from an illness long ago. As a Taoist, I studied a forbidden technique to revive her."

"Forbidden technique?" Qin Chao was intrigued.

"Yes, the Taoist art of raising the dead." Li Baishan suddenly asked Qin Chao, "Do you know what a Corpse Bride is?"

"I don't..." Qin Chao shook his head, "but I seem to be able to understand."

"A Corpse Bride... to put it simply, is a walking corpse." Li Baishan said, his voice filled with sorrow. "A Corpse Bride is not a zombie or a vampire. Though these dark creatures are also undead, they have souls. A Corpse Bride, however, is left with only a corpse and memories, completely devoid of a soul."

"You mean... Xi doesn't have a soul?" Qin Chao looked at Xi, who was sulking to the side, and felt that she was no different from a living person. She still played with him, expressed emotions, and had feelings. Could someone like this really be soulless?

"That's right, she only has memories. So all of this is controlled by her memories," Li Baishan explained. "Xi is no different from when she was alive, except that she doesn't have her own soul, and she has lost the judgment a person should have."

Li Baishan's voice turned melancholic, "Moreover, she has lost the feeling of love. You can think of her as a human-like machine."

"For all these years, I've been trying to bring back her soul. I taught her Taoist techniques to keep her body from decaying. I used forbidden techniques to summon her soul. But in the end, I finally understood that her soul had already reincarnated, and there was no way to bring it back."

"But isn't she still alive right in front of you?" Qin Chao asked, "Why not try to love her?"

"Are you joking with me?" Li Baishan sneered. "I've always loved her soul, not this body. The body is just a lump of rotting flesh; it's the soul that's truly sacred!"

As Li Baishan spoke, he gestured to Xi.

Xi immediately moved closer, clinging to Li Baishan like a water snake, even lightly kissing his neck.

"See? This is what a person without their own soul looks like."

Qin Chao looked at Xi and noticed that the eyes behind her mask had indeed become murky.

"So cherish the people around you. Complete our mission and earn that five million as soon as possible. That way, you can be with your little lover sooner."

Li Baishan spoke, pulling out a piece of white paper and showing it to Qin Chao.

"Come find me at this place tomorrow."

The piece of paper flashed in front of Qin Chao and then suddenly burst into flames.

Qin Chao's expression was a bit odd as he looked at Li Baishan and asked, "Do I really have to go there?"

"Yes, you must come there. Your mission will be given to you at this location."

"...I'll think about it."

"Think about what!" Li Baishan took out another can of Sprite and started drinking, "I won't bother you except for the mission. Fight for the money, kid."