Otherworldly Affairs Office

After being transported through multiple Teleportation Arrays, when Pei Yan returned to the Investigation Bureau, it was already near midnight. After Gu Shenghui had strictly forbidden him from leaking any information about the impending attack incident by Shen Yu within the Secret Prison, he dragged his exhausted body towards his dormitory. Having been at the Investigation Bureau for just over a year, Pei Yan felt that the number of secret events he had to keep confidential was growing increasingly vast.

Opening the door to his dormitory, Wang Wenze was not inside. Through Gu Shenghui's explanation on the way, Pei Yan learned two things: firstly, Captain Shangxing had fully recovered and returned to his post; secondly, they had now been dispatched to the southern border to carry out a revenge-themed capture mission. The specifics would become clear once he arrived at the scene tomorrow.

Pei Yan was no longer the greenhorn when he first joined the Investigation Bureau. With all the training he had undergone, he could now manage his emotions well, and it was unlikely he would be too excited to sleep before an impending mission. He lay down on the comfortable soft bed, undistracted, and soon fell asleep.

The next day, when Hu Wenjun arrived at the dormitory, Pei Yan, who had developed good habits, had already finished washing up and was standing energetically at the dormitory door waiting for him.

Looking at this young man, who had cried the day he was picked up from home, now grown into a competent warrior, Hu Wenjun felt deep emotion. He patted Pei Yan's shoulder with a smile, saying, "Great, you can truly stand on your own now! Let's go!"

Five minutes later, standing at the Teleportation Array in the underground parking lot, Pei Yan looked confusedly at Hu Wenjun, who was outside the array, and asked, "Captain Hu, aren't you coming with me?"

"No, I have other matters to attend to here. Someone will meet you once you exit the Teleportation Array. Shangxing and your teammates are waiting for you there!" Hu Wenjun waved his hand with a smile and responded.

"Understood!"

Ten minutes later, after completing the teleportation and exiting the Teleportation Array's secret chamber, Pei Yan got into the car Hu Wenjun had mentioned. Pei Yan fanned himself while gazing at the scenery outside the window. This familiar southern landscape made him feel particularly close, and he hadn't expected that after just finishing over two months of training, he'd be back here within a couple of days' time.

After driving for over half an hour out of the city and traveling on the road for another two-plus hours until the road became a dirt path, Pei Yan, who was squinting and drowsy amidst the bumps, felt a slight jolt of the car as it finally came to a stop.

Wiping his face and looking at the area full of bamboo houses with local ethnic characteristics outside the car window, he stepped out and took a deep breath of fresh air, stretching long. At this moment, a beautiful silhouette caught his eye.

Seeing the girl walking out of the bamboo house, Pei Yan's stretched arm froze in place. In front of him, Zhao Yuanhu was not wearing the various Hanfu dresses she usually loved but was in traditional attire of the local Dai ethnic girls. Unlike the wide Hanfu, the gorgeous colors, long skirts, and close-fitting cut of the dress better showcased Zhao Yuanhu's graceful figure.

Up on the bamboo building, watching Pei Yan's foolish stance below, Ye Jiumu chuckled to Jiang Feiyang and Wang Wenze beside her and said, "See, what did I tell you? Pei Yan is really just a physique enthusiast!"

"I figured! None of you are any good," Jiang Feiyang said disdainfully, picking up a pistachio and tossing it on Pei Yan's head, "Hey! You got awestruck, didn't you?"

Pei Yan, coming to his senses, withdrew his arm and awkwardly smiled at Zhao Yuanhu, asking, "Why aren't you wearing Hanfu anymore?"

"Silly, you should always follow local customs! Come inside! You haven't eaten yet, right? Hurry on in!" Zhao Yuanhu giggled, reached out, and brushed off the pistachio stuck in Pei Yan's hair.

Upstairs, Wang Wenze, seeing this scene, shook his head in frustration and walked away muttering, "Hopeless! Absolutely hopeless!"

No matter how much training Pei Yan went through, at this age, he was still vulnerable when it came to matters between men and women.

Following Zhao Yuanhu, Pei Yan quickly recovered from his previous embarrassment, shifting his attention to the other people inside. Soon, he saw a tall figure approaching him. Although the person's appearance had changed, that towering build was still striking.

Facing the open arms of the other, Pei Yan was no longer restrained and opened his own arms as well. They embraced as Pei Yan's nose tingled, and he smiled, "Welcome back, Captain Shangxing!"

Shangxing's broad palm patted Pei Yan's back with a chuckle, "It's my line. Welcome back to the team!"

After exchanging pleasantries with Shangxing, Pei Yan greeted his other friends one by one. With Jiang Feiyang's introduction, he met the other four members of their team: three men – Kong Lin, Qi Hua, and Qi Weidong – and one woman, Xue Buli. After everyone had introduced themselves,

Wang Wenze pushed Pei Yan towards the dining table and said, "Eat up!"

Picking up chopsticks, Pei Yan casually asked, "Aren't you guys eating?"

"We've already eaten. We kept some dishes for you when we heard you were coming!" Ye Jiumu, sitting across from him, opened a bottle of Coke and placed it in front of Pei Yan.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!" With that said, Pei Yan indeed didn't hold back and started eating voraciously.

Xia Yu, playing with her phone nearby, glanced up and teased, "Didn't think local food would suit your tastes, thought you might not adapt well."

"Burp! The place I trained in was somewhat similar! Over two months, General Ni also made some local dishes, got used to it early on!" Pei Yan remarked casually, took a sip of Coke, and let out a burp.

Leaning against Wang Wenze, Liang Qian curiously asked, "Oh! Right, two months of specialized training! That's rare! How was it? Show us!"

Pei Yan simply stretched out his hand, where more than ten arcs of electricity zigzagged and danced in his palm, crackling with the collision of sparks.

Xue Buli and the newly acquainted team members didn't find this surprising, thinking it was Pei Yan's inherent ability, but his familiar friends understood the meaning of this action. Wang Wenze stood up instantly, staring at the electricity in Pei Yan's hand, and tentatively asked, "Did you absorb that person's ability?"

Pei Yan nodded. Gu Shenghui had informed him of the secret about absorbing others' abilities, and after he succeeded, there was no need to hide anything from his teammates except for the specific process of absorption.

With this in mind, Pei Yan briefly recounted the two-month training process and the ability absorption to everyone present, focusing on what he could share.

After listening to Pei Yan's explanation, the people present began an intense discussion on whether they could absorb others' abilities or if others could absorb theirs in the future.

Shangxing, who had been silent, tapped on the dining table, and the room returned to calm, with everyone looking at their captain.

"Since Pei Yan is one of our teammates, it's impossible to keep this hidden, so let's all acknowledge it. Remember, this cannot be spread outside! Rest assured, the Bureau won't extract your abilities without reason, and I believe the Bureau will have arrangements in the future for whether or not everyone can absorb others' abilities!"

Saying this, Shangxing looked at Pei Yan and asked, "Pei Yan, what's roughly your current strength?"

"At the peak of the first Awakening level, ready to comprehend the second-tier abilities anytime!"