CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50: SAVED FORTY YEARS OF DETOURS_1

"Brother Wang, let’s go to the Yi Hong Building to listen to some music after work," a middle-aged man, setting down the newspaper he was reading, proposed, his expression flickering with excitement. "I heard there’s a new artist who has a two-week residency there. He performs every five days, and there wasn’t a single empty seat at his last show."

Wang Linchi sipped his tea and responded, "Sure, there’s nothing better to do anyway."

A month ago, with Xun Cong and Feng Zhu, two Elite Gold Level Awakeners leading the way, they had quickly arrived at Yi Ning Prefecture. Soon after, Xun Cong used the network of the Peacock Sword Sect to expedite Wang Linchi’s admission process to the Soul Seed Bureau. To repay the favor Wang Linchi had done for him, Feng Zhu personally escorted him there.

With the influence of the Peacock Sword Sect and the weight of the Feng Family behind him, Wang Linchi landed a relaxed but unlucrative position as a warehouse clerk. He wasn’t in charge of managing the warehouse or inventory registration, just a simple clerk. His main task was to sit in front of the computer, compile various reports, and submit them to his superior. His superior, Ruan Tian, was a middle-aged man who sat right next to him. The job Wang Linchi now held used to be Ruan Tian’s; Ruan Tian had been promoted when Wang Linchi arrived, and now the two of them shared the work. There was barely any workload. They would be busy for just one day a month and spent the rest of their time chatting over tea and reading newspapers. The position was actually quite redundant, something the warehouse manager could easily handle; it had been specifically created to accommodate Awakeners.

Both Xun Cong and Feng Zhu were quite content with Wang Linchi’s choice of position, as it was easy to arrange since it came with no significant extra income. In return for his previous help, they even raised Wang Linchi’s salary.

Wang Linchi’s choice of this position was quite simple. Apart from it being a relaxed environment, it was close to the storage of Soul Kinds. In case of any incident, he could easily blend in and take advantage of the situation.

Since then, Wang Linchi had started living a seemingly monotonous, retired sort of life. Yet, this was only what appeared on the surface. In reality, he spent his days perfecting the Soul Secret Technique and his evenings at home analyzing Epic Level Soul Kinds. He even managed to find time to practice Cultivation using the ’Nine Revolutions Golden Core Soul Forging Skill’.

His power was steadily increasing.

The only downside was that his level-four subsidy had disappeared with his graduation and the destruction of Qinghe Academy.

Nobody in the Soul Seed Bureau gave him any trouble. Firstly, his arrival didn’t infringe upon anyone’s interests. Secondly, Wang Linchi’s connections made others wary of him. As for Ruan Tian, he was perfectly content. He now earned a higher salary for doing half his previous work. He had Wang Linchi to thank for that, so targeting him was the last thing on his mind. Therefore, the two would occasionally go out and amuse themselves together.

Though their work was minimal, they earned high salaries along with various subsidies and allowances. Wang Linchi earned 1,500 a month.

"Alright, I’ll book two tickets now. We can head directly there later," Ruan Tian said. He immediately picked up his phone and booked two.

Yi Hong Building wasn’t some disreputable place; it simply offered performances that were a bit risqué, combined with genuine artistic talent. The target audience was non-battle-type Awakeners, who were wealthy but not very powerful—perfect for the venue to profit from. Battle-type Awakeners, on the other hand, preferred more ’real-deal’ entertainment and wouldn’t bother with such shows.

Wang Linchi didn’t refuse the invitation because he knew he would be in this position for a considerable time and needed to maintain good relations with his colleagues. He also didn’t need to worry about it delaying his progress. Even if he didn’t go home to analyze Epic Level Soul Kinds, he could deduce the Soul Secret Technique in his mind. As long as he didn’t waste time, everything would be fine.

"By the way, have you heard? Yan Ming King is returning," Ruan Tian said mysteriously.

In Yi Ning Prefecture, Yan Ming King was naturally an influential figure. He’d been here for so long; with his three great auras—protagonist, intelligence-lowering, and taunt—he was bound to stir up considerable trouble.To this day, Wang Linchi suspected that Yan Ming King was inextricably linked to the destruction of Qinghe City.The auras he possessed might have overdrawn the ’luck’ or ’destiny’ of the entire area, leading to his own rapid advancement while Qinghe City suffered a terrible catastrophe.Of course, this was just speculation. However, if Yi Ning Prefecture or even the entire Yingzhou encountered trouble after he ’changed maps’ to another location, then it could be confirmed.Right now, Yan Ming King was probably about to ’change maps’ soon.

"He’s coming back? Weren’t they saying it would still be some time?" Wang Linchi asked, a little puzzled.

Yan Ming King had truly gained fame when he came out victorious in the previous Hundred Provinces’ Prodigies Convention, an event held only once a century. Over the years, Yan Ming King had far surpassed his former self, and his Ming King Palace had become a major force in Yi Ning Prefecture, gathering countless talented individuals.

"Rumor has it that he’s coming back for this artist at the Yi Hong Building, but there are also whispers that he’s cleared a Secret Realm," Ruan Tian said, with a look that suggested he was privy to some insider information.

Wang Linchi wasn’t interested in such gossip from the peanut gallery, nor did he have any intention of interacting with Yan Ming King.

Especially when women were involved; he always had a feeling that trouble would follow.He wondered if he could still decline the invitation.

"What’s the backstory of this artist that even Yan Ming King is rushing back for him?" Wang Linchi asked, maintaining an indifferent tone.

"I don’t know; his background is very mysterious." How could Ruan Tian possibly know? He was just an office clerk like Wang Linchi, with no access to any intelligence channels. Even the bits he knew were just things he’d overheard from others.

"How mysterious can he be that even you don’t know the details?" Wang Linchi teased. This Ruan Tian was a bit of a gossipmonger, always up on the strangest rumors.

"It’s precisely because the details are hidden even from me that he’s mysterious!" Ruan Tian wasn’t at all affected by Wang Linchi’s teasing. In fact, he seemed pleased by the comment, taking it as a compliment to his ’well-informed’ status. "Forget it, let’s not talk about this. No matter how mysterious he is, we’ll see for ourselves tonight."

Ruan Tian quickly changed the subject and started telling Wang Linchi other pieces of gossip. However, most of this gossip consisted of sensational tidbits or mundane, everyday affairs—the kind of information an office clerk like him would typically encounter. He didn’t have access to anything more substantial.

They chatted away, and soon it was time to clock out. Both of them clocked out punctually.

Truth be told, given their situation, it wouldn’t have mattered if they didn’t clock out. Still, they had to show a modicum of respect and not appear too arrogant.Even if there were no further avenues for promotion for them, their salaries still had room to increase.Wang Linchi wasn’t short of money, but that didn’t mean he’d turn his nose up at more.

"We should get a vehicle. Otherwise, by the time we walk there, the performance will be halfway through," Ruan Tian said, waving his hand and hailing two rickshaws.

To be honest, with cars, bicycles, and electric bikes all available, the fact that rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages hadn’t yet been retired seemed like a curious holdover from a bygone era.