The One-Star Inspector

Li Wan Feng felt as though his throat was blocked, unable to speak, after hearing Kent's words.

"It seems your skills as a Beast Master have surpassed anyone I've known. In fact, you've exceeded my understanding altogether."

Kent smiled slightly.

"This might be a kind of talent," Li Wan Feng continued, "like fish swimming in water or birds flying in the sky—something innate. No matter how much we humans practice swimming or flying, we can never reach your level. You've transcended the category of a Beast Master; you should be called a Divine Beast Master."

He patted Kent's shoulder and gazed at him with a somewhat dreamy look. "Your future may be limitless and incredibly powerful. But you lack a foundation, a protector. If you need it, I'm willing to abandon my work in the Lightless City and come to assist you. What do you think?"

Kent didn't respond immediately. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Li Uncle, I understand your good intentions. But everyone's path is different. Taking someone else's path may keep you safe, but it also deprives you of discovering the beauty of new landscapes."

"Li Uncle, you also have your own life to lead. Please don't lose it because of me. You don't need to rush—trying to achieve everything at once might cause you to miss out on the subtle flavors that come with taking your time. I believe it's better to let things unfold naturally."

Li Wan Feng paused and then nodded. "You're right. I respect your wishes."

"Goodbye, Li Uncle," Kent said, and with that, he took his leave.

Three days passed quickly. During this time, Li Wan Feng had visited all the people he needed to see.

In fact, on the third day, Kent didn't go with him, as the people Li Wan Feng was visiting this time were mostly women, including a former classmate from his university days with whom he'd had some ambiguous feelings.

On the fourth day, Li Wan Feng went to pick up Qian Zhen Qian, and they were going together to oversee the Red Fire Mine.

Kent, on the other hand, brought Zhao Mengxi along as his girlfriend. She wanted to accompany him, both to keep him company and to see firsthand what was happening. After all, this was a significant event that had attracted the attention of several powerful factions, and it would be good for her to witness it.

This was her first official appearance in high-status circles as Kent's girlfriend.

However, things didn't go entirely as planned. A phone call interrupted their plans, and Kent had to go pick up Gu Ling Ling instead.

With Gu Ling Ling joining them, an almost sixteen-year-old young girl who loved to act coquettishly, Kent and Zhao Mengxi couldn't get much done during the trip. There was no teasing, no flirtation—just an awkward tension, as Gu Ling Ling kept observing them with sharp eyes, and didn't bother hiding her curiosity.

When they reached the city gates, Li Wan Feng and Qian Zhen Qian were already waiting, accompanied by their bodyguards. Qian Zhen Qian had even brought a mercenary group he valued. As an inspector, he had connections with several mercenary groups, and the higher-ranked the inspector, the more mercenary groups they were surrounded by.

However, Li Wan Feng's roots were in the Lightless City, so it wasn't feasible for him to bring along a mercenary group.

It was also worth noting that because of the mercenary group, Qian Zhen Qian had leveraged his military connections to bring two armored vehicles, fully equipped with heavy weapons, including machine guns and anti-aircraft cannons. Of course, the armored vehicles weren't for carrying people.

For transporting people, they used cargo trucks. If there was a smooth road, the trucks would drive directly. If not, the trucks would be stored in spatial bags and taken out once they reached an area with a proper road.

However, when Kent met up with them, he didn't immediately head out of the city.

"Li Uncle, Qian Uncle, please wait for a moment. I need to go to the registration office to pick something up."

Kent had received a call from the registration office the day before. After verifying the documents he submitted on the Mowling Secret Realm—photos and various materials—it was confirmed that everything was authentic and thorough. As a result, he passed the one-star inspector qualification review with high marks and was asked to pick up his inspector badge.

Although Kent wasn't particularly excited, as this was expected, he did feel a sense of relief. After all, the challenges ahead were daunting, and the status of a one-star inspector was certainly more useful than being a freshman in an inspection program.

Arriving at the registration office, he was led into the Inspector's Hall for the first time.

The hall was grand and extravagant, with gold and brilliance everywhere, exuding a sense of luxury. Kent had never seen such a rich and opulent building before. The massive, softly glowing jewel at the center of the hall, surrounded by hundreds of sparkling crystal-like diamonds, indicated the immense value of this place.

Indeed, while inspectors had the highest mortality rate among professions, they were also the group most likely to get rich quickly. As the saying goes, "money makes the world go round," and the allure of rapid wealth and elevated status drove many to become inspectors.

The Hall of Inspectors reflected the esteemed status of its members, attracting waves of people eager to join the ranks.

Inside the hall, the furnishings were extraordinary, but Kent didn't linger long to admire them. He wasn't there for luxury; he had a task to complete.

He headed straight to a side hall, which housed the office for administrative tasks. A staff member, who looked like a manager, was already sitting inside. When Kent entered with an air of confidence, the staff member raised his eyes, gradually showing a satisfied smile.

"You must be Kent, right?" the man asked, recognizing him—or perhaps it was more of an educated guess.

Kent nodded and introduced himself. "Hello, Director Liang. I'm a freshman at Earthstar University's Inspector Academy, here to collect my one-star inspector badge."

Director Liang gestured for Kent to sit down. "You're younger than I expected. At just 18 years old, you're the youngest one-star inspector in the history of Earthstar City. Truly remarkable."

Kent smiled modestly. "It's just luck, nothing to praise."

Director Liang nodded, encouraging him. "Your humility shows you're calm and level-headed, which is crucial. Many get overwhelmed by such achievements, but it's important to remain cautious. Inspectors have one of the highest death rates, often because they lose their composure and take unnecessary risks. As the director here, I hope you can maintain this mindset—ambitious, yet cautious."

"Thank you for your guidance, Director Liang," Kent responded.

It was clear that the reason the badge wasn't simply mailed to Kent was that the authorities wanted to take this opportunity to assess him further. If he proved himself worthy, they would give him more support to help him grow faster and avoid having his talents go unnoticed.