91: The real trouble isn't demons, it's people!

Five days passed in a flash.

Deep underground, the Thunder Pool.

Lin Yuan crawled out of the pool, feeling as comfortable as if he had just finished a full body spa.

He looked back.

The pool, once filled with viscous thunder plasma, was now crystal clear.

It was dry again.

In front of the control panel, Old Zhang stood with his back to Lin Yuan, wiping an already gleaming energy detector repeatedly with a rag.

He didn't turn around or speak.

The only sound in the entire underground space was the 'swish swish' of the rag rubbing against metal.

Lin Yuan awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Uh... Old Zhang, I'm leaving now."

Old Zhang paused his wiping.

Then, he continued to wipe.

"Please take care of yourself and don't overwork."

"Swish... swish..."

"If I have a chance in the future, I'll come see you again."

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Alright.

This grudge was officially formed.

Lin Yuan rubbed his nose and slunk away.

He opened his personal panel and took a look.

【Divine Body Power: 50%】

Excellent, completely full!

As for the Thunder Pool... since Director Zhou gave the go-ahead, it would be a waste not to soak.

He was just making reasonable use of organizational resources to promote personal growth, not taking advantage...

An hour later.

A tactical transport plane, emblazoned with the Dragon Shield Bureau emblem, soared into the sky, heading west.

Inside the cabin, Lin Yuan leaned back in his seat, his legs crossed.

With A-grade divine equipment on him, going to a C-grade safe zone for a paid vacation, just soothing yaks and chasing away marmots every day.

What kind of heavenly life was this?

Director Zhou was truly a good leader who cared for his subordinates!

He looked at Su Wanqing, who was sitting opposite him.

She was still in her combat uniform, resting with her eyes closed.

"Hey, Beauty Su."

Lin Yuan leaned over, looking for something to say.

"Hey, Beauty Su, do we get hazard pay for this business trip? What about the meal allowance?"

Su Wanqing didn't even open her eyes.

"C-grade fieldstationed standard, three hundred contribution points daily. Meals are self-provided."

Three hundred points?

Lin Yuan quickly calculated in his mind.

Three hundred a day, that's nine thousand a month! One year would be one hundred and eight thousand!

"Tsk tsk." Lin Yuan clicked his tongue in satisfaction, exclaiming proudly, "With A-grade divine equipment, I'm on a paid vacation in a C-grade safe zone, and I even have a fixed salary every day... Now, I've truly secured a solid job!"

This was much better than fighting for his life in the city!

The more he thought about it, the better it seemed, and he leaned in closer, proposing earnestly: "So, when we get there, how should we divide the work? We need a head and a deputy, right?"

"How about you be the head, and I'll assist you? I'm easygoing, don't strive for fame or profit, and I just like to shine under the wise leadership of my superior."

Let Su Wanqing be the leader, she works, and he slacks off.

Perfect.

However, Su Wanqing opened her eyes and quietly looked at Lin Yuan.

"Director Zhou's appointment letter states it very clearly."

"Abyss of Suppressing Prison, Supervising Officer, Lin Yuan."

"Deputy Supervising Officer, Su Wanqing."

The smile on Lin Yuan's face froze.

"What the heck?"

"I... I'm the head?"

"Yes." Su Wanqing's answer was crisp and direct.

An ominous premonition rose in Lin Yuan's heart.

That old fox... definitely had ill intentions!

"Then... that place, is it really as Director Zhou said, with beautiful mountains and rivers, and peaceful years?" he asked tentatively.

Su Wanqing was silent for a moment.

"From the data, the [Abyss of Suppressing Prison] has had energy fluctuations consistently below the C-grade safety threshold for the past fifty years. No major incidents requiring intervention have occurred."

It sounded... quite safe.

Lin Yuan just breathed a sigh of relief.

"But." Su Wanqing's tone shifted.

Here it comes! Better late than never!

Lin Yuan's heart tightened again.

"What you might face isn't trouble from the Spirit Realm."

Su Wanqing handed him a tablet displaying an encrypted file.

"It's people."

Lin Yuan took the tablet and saw the file's title.

"Memorandum of Handover Regarding the Kunlun Qin Family."

"The Qin Family?"

"An ancient martial arts family with a heritage of over two hundred years," Su Wanqing slowly began.

"Before the Dragon Shield Bureau was established, they had been stationed in the Abyss of Suppressing Prison for generations. That place is their ancestral land, and also their... territory."

"After the spiritual energy revival, the Dragon Shield Bureau signed an agreement with them. We provide supplies and modern technological support, acknowledge their 'daily jurisdiction' over the Abyss of Suppressing Prison, and they, as an auxiliary force of the Dragon Shield Bureau, report data to us and adhere to the Alliance's highest directives."

The more Lin Yuan listened, the more confused he became.

Daily jurisdiction?

Auxiliary force?

Territory?

This... isn't this just a state within a state?

"You mean, my 'Supervising Officer' title is just a name? That place is actually the Qin Family's territory?"

"Theoretically, you are the highest-ranking officer dispatched by the Dragon Shield Bureau, possessing ultimate decision-making power."

Su Wanqing paused.

"But in reality, the Qin Family has operated there for centuries. From the guards at the outpost to the guides on the logistics supply line, almost all of them are their clansmen or dependents."

Lin Yuan understood.

What paid vacation, what soothing yaks.

This was a political struggle!

"Damn it!" Lin Yuan couldn't help but curse out loud.

"That old man set me up!"

He looked indignant, "I've bled for the organization, I've risked my life for the people! Is this how he treats me? Sending me to play palace intrigue?"

Su Wanqing watched his dramatic display, ignoring it.

"The Qin Family adheres to ancient rites, where the strong are respected."

"They won't openly defy the Dragon Shield Bureau's orders, but they will never easily allow an outsider to dictate terms in their 'ancestral land'."

She retrieved the tablet, her voice tinged with a hint of confusion, and whispered: "Logically, it shouldn't be us going there. That place isn't even under the jurisdiction of the Jiangcheng Branch Bureau. It's really strange."

...Meanwhile.

Deep in the Kunlun Mountains.

The biting cold wind, carrying snow spray, swept across a fortress constructed of steel and rock.

This was Dragon Shield Bureau Outpost C-17, and also the only entrance to the [Abyss of Suppressing Prison].

Inside the fortress's command center, a stern-faced middle-aged man with slightly graying temples sat in the main seat.

He was the Qin Family patriarch, Qin Shan.

He held a cup of hot tea, his demeanor calm, oblivious to the wind and snow outside the window.

"Supervising Officer..." Qin Shan put down his teacup, muttering to himself, his voice betraying no emotion, "The Dragon Shield Bureau has been trying to insert people here for more than a day or two. It's just a title, it won't cause any waves."

He paused, a hint of disdain curling at the corner of his mouth.

"In the Abyss of Suppressing Prison, titles are hollow; strength is what matters. If he wants to be this official, let him."

Just then, a guard quickly walked in and knelt on one knee.

"Reporting to Patriarch! Radar shows the Dragon Shield Bureau's transport plane has entered the guided flight path! Estimated to land in ten minutes!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shan didn't even lift an eyelid, merely waving his hand.

"Understood, you may leave."

He calmly ordered: "Also, arrange for some sharp-eyed individuals to observe secretly and see what kind of person the Dragon Shield Bureau has sent this time."