Chapter 21: Master of the Fleeting Sun

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"As for your concern about the flaws in your technique being exposed, you can rest assured. Once your information is sealed, only those at the very top will have access to the core details; no one else will be able to see them." With that, Gao Sheng repeated his previous question. "Who did you learn from? Which school or sect do you belong to?" "I have no master... I'm self-taught." Wang Pan, who was registering the details, paused for a moment, but didn’t seem particularly surprised. In this world, cultivation techniques were not scarce; one could even find some basic breathing methods openly online. What was lacking were people with innate talent and access to the spiritual power necessary for cultivation.

Without a guiding master or a proper place to train, it was difficult to even get started, but not impossible. In fact, the Special Investigation Division’s records did include a few "self-taught" extraordinary individuals. "Next question: what is Miss Bai’s area of expertise with her technique?" "Huh?" "Divination, geomancy, exorcism, warding off evil spirits..." "You could say it’s monster- and demon-slaying, I suppose." "What is Miss Bai’s current source of income?" "Unemployed." Wang Pan’s fingers flew over the screen, recording Bai Xian’s words.

"If the Special Investigation Division needs it, would Miss Bai be willing to serve the country according to your abilities?" Bai Xian asked, "Is there any compensation?" Gao Sheng smiled, "Of course. But it probably won’t be as generous as Boss Li. For ordinary tasks, the payment is usually several tens of thousands." This was the state's way of subsidizing these extraordinary individuals to keep them under control. After all, not every such person had a stable income, nor was every one of them willing to lead an ordinary life and "lower themselves" to earn money.

Bai Xian’s eyes brightened. "If there’s payment, I’ll do it." Gao Sheng nodded, and Wang Pan put away his tablet and stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation. I won’t take up any more of your time." Bai Xian was taken aback and called after them. "Isn’t this registration process a bit too..." "Too perfunctory?" Gao Sheng interjected. "What else do you expect? Should we put a Beidou tracker on you or lock you up in prison?"

Bai Xian hadn’t thought of anything that severe, but just registering seemed to lack any real constraints. Gao Sheng immediately saw what she was thinking. "You think the state is too lax in managing people like you?" Bai Xian nodded. Shouldn’t extraordinary individuals be considered an unstable element in society and therefore strictly controlled?

"You young people overestimate extraordinary individuals—no, you underestimate the power of the state." Gao Sheng gestured toward the private room’s door. "You know Daoist Zhang who just left. His mastery of Daoist talismans is unparalleled; when he wields a yellow talisman, even ghosts and spirits flee. In terms of physical prowess, five or six ordinary men couldn’t get close. He’s among the top tier of extraordinary individuals."

"But even someone as formidable as him—if he ever lost his mind and disturbed public order—never mind the military or special police, even a regular police officer with a gun from the local station could take him down." "We are now in an era where spiritual power is depleted and martial arts are weak; a few people with special techniques can’t overturn the world. Besides, the strongest extraordinary individuals are secluded in the major sects, devoted to their own cultivation. If anything happens in the outside world, the Special Investigation Division will deal with it—there’s no need to strictly monitor every one of you."

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After listening to Gao Sheng, Bai Xian basically understood the state’s attitude towards people like her. It was limited oversight: not locked up and guarded like criminals, but still distinguished from ordinary citizens. Once registered with the Special Investigation Division, if someone did commit a crime, the perpetrator could be quickly identified. All things considered, it was a management approach that best fit reality.

But she still had one last question. "Um... could you help me sort out my household registration and ID card?" …

A few days later.

Two express deliveries arrived at Villa 6, District 3, delivered by Chen Xu. Bai Xian opened the packaging and took out a brand-new household registration booklet and ID card. These weren’t forgeries, but official documents issued anew for her by the Special Investigation Division through the national security system. The ID photo had been changed to a beautiful young woman, the name now read Bai Xian, and the gender was, of course, listed as "female."

She had thought her biggest problem—her identity—would be the hardest to resolve, but now that it was done, it all felt a bit unreal. She opened the other parcel to find a brand-new yellow talisman inside. This delivery was from the Daoist priest Zhang Yuheng.

Back at the old bridge, he had tricked Bai Xian, nearly causing her soul to be devoured by a flood dragon’s spirit. After they came ashore, Bai Xian had tried to pull out the old Daoist’s beard; it took much pleading before she let him go, but only after he promised to compensate her with a yellow talisman. Zhang Yuheng had claimed he’d left home in a hurry and didn’t have one on him at the time. She had thought he would never make good on his word, but to her surprise, the talisman arrived after all.

This yellow talisman was no ordinary item. It was called the "Fire and Thunder Talisman." At the top was the seal of Patriarch Lü and the Pure Yang Immortal Pen, the center depicted fire, thunder, and the twenty-eight constellations, and the bottom held a diagram showing the convergence of heaven and earth. Years ago, archaeologists had found this very talisman on a beam in the Hall of Supreme Harmony within the Forbidden City, proclaiming it the “Number One Talisman under Heaven.” Of course, the one in her hand was certainly not the original from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but a replica made by Zhang Yuheng. Who knew how much of the original’s power it retained?

Resisting the urge to test it out immediately, Bai Xian placed the talisman into her "little treasury." In addition, Chen Xu, who had delivered the packages, brought another message: "President Li has arranged for workers to come and tear down the basement’s walls and floor." Bai Xian nodded. She hadn’t forgotten her promise to the chubby ghost, Zhou Yang. Besides, she wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but living under the same roof with one was undeniably odd.

She shared the good news with Zhou Yang, who was cooking in the kitchen. The latter was naturally moved to tears. Zhou Yang’s culinary skills were remarkable and perfectly suited her tastes; she would actually miss those meals once he left.

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After a few casual words of reassurance, Bai Xian returned to the living room, idly browsing an encyclopedia. She was reading about a Daoist nun from the Ming dynasty named Wang Taozhen. The first half of her life was uneventful and unremarkable. Only after her fiancé died—she mourned for three days and nights—did she join the Daoist order and became a true adept. Legend had it she was extraordinarily gifted, and not long after beginning her cultivation, she aspired to ascend to immortality in broad daylight.

Many common folk who had benefited from her kindness flocked to witness the event—numbering as many as a hundred thousand. Before long, Wang Taozhen achieved ascension, and the multitude wept and prayed in her honor for days on end. Of course, this was just a piece of unverified folklore; the claims of ascension were surely exaggerated. But this Wang Taozhen bore a familiar Daoist title: "Master Tanyan."

Bai Xian let out a long, slow breath, her gaze drifting to the top shelf of the antique display, where a long sword rested. The owner of that sword was also called "Master Tanyan," and even the time periods matched. Was it mere coincidence, or...

"Have you made any progress in your martial training lately, miss?" The plump ghost, carrying a plate of food, drifted out of the kitchen and saw Bai Xian lost in thought, so he asked casually. Bai Xian shook her head. "It’s all just empty showmanship." For the past few days, she had been searching everywhere for a martial arts school that taught staff techniques, but whether found online or recommended by the blacksmith’s group, none met her standards.

She was hoping to find techniques with real combat value, but such demands were nearly nonexistent in modern society; most schools focused on performance and choreographed routines. In other words, showmanship. Not that such forms were useless—after all, practice builds muscle memory, which is essential for applying martial arts in real situations. But even as an amateur, Bai Xian could see the flaws in the staff techniques taught at those schools.

Thinking of the scar-faced Cai Wei and his long saber, Bai Xian muttered, "If I can’t find what I need in this world, perhaps I can look elsewhere." In the following days, nothing out of the ordinary happened. The blacksmith workshop notified her that her custom spear was finished. She went to retrieve it and, upon unwrapping it in the villa, her eyes lit up.

Perhaps because there was more time this round, the craftsmanship was clearly superior. The shaft was as smooth as a mirror, the grip now wrapped in softer, non-slip material—no longer the rough finish that had once scraped her hands raw. The spring steel shaft was strong yet flexible, and every swing of the weapon whistled sharply through the air.

The spearhead was forged using a triple-layer technique: the sides of darkened soft steel sandwiched a gleaming silver edge, sharp enough to slice a hair. The impractical barbs of the previous design had been eliminated, replaced by a diamond-shaped tip for easy withdrawal after piercing a body.

After a few quick thrusts, Bai Xian couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly, "What a fine spear!"