Chapter 481 - 349: A New Beginning (2)
His gaze then turned to Ian, a hint of solemnity flashing across his face.
Ian met his gaze calmly, exuding no pressure or imposing aura.
But Li Yan’s expression gradually changed. With his Perception as a Middle Stage of Legend, he couldn’t see through this young man’s depths.
He could only feel... as if a true Fixed Star was hidden within the other’s body.
Scorching, vast, and unfathomable.
"General Wei, this is..."
Li Yan spoke, his voice tinged with a newfound caution.
Wei Song took a step forward and stood beside Ian.
"Elder Li, let me make a formal introduction. This is Mr. Yin, and he is also my teacher."
"He was previously guarding the Black Abyss Rift."
Li Yan’s eyes narrowed. The Black Abyss Rift... he had been there once, a century ago.
Back then, he was still a Level Four Grandmaster. He had followed his family’s elders on an inspection, and just by standing at the Rift’s edge, he felt as if his very Soul would be sucked in.
’And now, this young man claimed to have guarded that place for at least fifty years?’
He knew almost every Legendary Powerhouse in the entire Great Yan, yet he had never heard of such a person.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yin." Li Yan cupped his fist, his attitude much more solemn. "Your reputation precedes you."
"You’re too kind, Elder Li. I’ve also long heard of your great name; it’s quite renowned."
Ian’s expression was solemn as he returned the formal gesture.
"Elder Li, Teacher, please, let’s sit and talk."
Wei Song gestured, and the three of them walked over to the conference table and sat down.
The others tactfully excused themselves, leaving only Zhou Zhen and Lin Wei to stand guard at the door.
"Mr. Yin, your reason for coming out of seclusion this time is..." Li Yan asked probingly.
"To see Wei Song, and to take a walk around."
Ian lifted his teacup and took a sip. His movements were natural, as if he really were just out for a leisurely stroll.
Li Yan didn’t believe a single word.
’A Legend who had guarded the Black Abyss Rift for fifty years suddenly coming out of seclusion... how could it possibly be just to "take a walk"?’
But he didn’t press the matter. Everyone has their secrets, and this was even more true for Legends.
"Since you’re here, Mr. Yin, why not... stay for a while?"
Li Yan changed the subject, his tone enthusiastic.
"Great Yan is in dire need of talented people. Legendary Powerhouses... are too few."
"Publicly, there are fewer than twenty, but the number that can actually be mobilized is even smaller. Many provinces don’t even have a single Legend watching over them."
He paused and looked at Wei Song.
"Jiangnan Province didn’t have one before. Now we have General Wei, but... it’s still not enough."
"Those Rifts in the north have been restless lately."
Ian looked down at his teacup, a contemplative look on his face. "Elder Li, you want me... to join the Management Bureau?"
"Not join. We’d like to hire you," Li Yan corrected.
"Mr. Yin, you have guarded the Black Abyss Rift for fifty years—an immense contribution. The Great Yan headquarters is willing to hire you as a Security Advisor."
"You’ll enjoy Level Five national benefits and an annual quota of twenty complete Source Crystals."
Ian’s eyes twitched slightly. Setting aside everything else, the twenty complete Source Crystals Elder Li mentioned would each be at least the size of a goose egg.
’That’s a hefty amount, enough for Wei Song’s Cultivation for three months.’
"And my obligations?"
"Obligations..."
A smile spread across Li Yan’s face, but it held a deeper meaning.
"Since Mr. Yin has guarded a Rift for fifty years, you must despise them. As it happens, a new Level Four Rift was recently discovered in the northern part of Jiangnan Province."
"It hasn’t been officially registered yet, and we haven’t had time for Purification."
"If you’re interested, Mr. Yin, you could go take a look yourself."
Ian set down his teacup and looked up at Li Yan.
"A new Rift? Where is its exact location?"
"Deep within the Black Dragon Mountain Range. You can get the specific coordinates from General Wei."
Li Yan took a Token from his clothes and placed it on the table.
The Token was Dark Gold in color. The character for "Yan" was engraved on the front, and the emblem of the Management Bureau was on the back.
"This is the highest-level Advisor’s Token. With it, you can mobilize provincial resources and have priority access to classified files."
"Of course, you are also obligated to take action when necessary."
Ian picked up the Token. It was heavy in his hand, with a smooth, warm texture.
He traced the patterns on the Token’s surface, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
’Joining the Management Bureau aligns perfectly with my current goals. I could legally mobilize all kinds of resources and intelligence.’
’As for getting caught up in the struggles of other high-level members, that’s not something I need to consider right now.’
’I need Source Crystals, and I need to recover my strength quickly.’
’I also need a legitimate identity to operate in this world.’
"I accept." Ian put the Token away. "But I have a few conditions."
"Please, state them," Li Yanjun replied.
"First, I will not participate in daily affairs, only matters related to the Rifts. Second, I will act autonomously and am not subject to anyone’s command."
Ian thought for a moment, then shook his head. "That’s all for now. I’ll add more if I think of anything else."
"No problem. I can approve that right now." Li Yan’s face lit up with joy.
"Mr. Yin is a Legend; naturally, he will be treated as one."
He stood up and extended his hand to Ian. "Welcome to Great Yan."
Ian shook his hand. "Then... I look forward to working with you."
「Outside the conference room.」
Zhou Zhen and Lin Wei stood on either side like a pair of door gods, their ears perked up.
Although they couldn’t make out the specifics, words like "Legend," "Rift," and "Source Crystal" still drifted out intermittently.
Lin Wei asked in a low voice, "Is that Mr. Yin really General Wei’s teacher?"
"Looks like it," Zhou Zhen whispered back.
"Didn’t you see Elder Li’s attitude? He’s never that formal with anyone else."
"That’s the Flame Monarch... one of the five great Legends from headquarters."
"Even he was so polite. That Mr. Yin... must be a major figure on the same level as Elder Li, at the very least."
Lin Wei sucked in a sharp breath.
In all of Great Yan, there were only two or three people publicly known to be on the same level of power as Elder Li, and every single one of them was a National Guardian Level existence.