Hua An asked again, "Then, have you ever betrayed the human faction?"
Gu Jianlin replied once more, "No."
Hua An nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then, were you the one who leaked the Black Cloud City operation?"
Gu Jianlin thought to himself that it was clearly the Sea Demon and shook his head again.
Hua An's smile deepened as he asked, "Very well. Then, regarding the emergence of a Divine Servant in the West Port Forbidden Zone, how much do you know about this? Does it have anything to do with you?"
"Divine Servant? The person you're talking about should be the Nightmare Master, right? My father's former teammate."
Gu Jianlin furrowed his brows and asked, "The Fallen under the Nightmare Master once sought me out. Does that count?"
It would clearly be unreasonable to say he knew nothing at all, so he opted to reveal half the truth.
As for the other Divine Servant, that was his Tiger General.
Hua An seemed thoughtful. "One last question: is the Qilin Wedge in your possession?"
Gu Jianlin shook his head. "No."
Hua An sucked in a breath of cold air and clicked his tongue. "So you're telling me that in just two weeks, you went from being an ordinary person to a Second Rank Junior Fate Officer? How much spirituality have you accumulated at the Second Rank?"
At the same time, the eerie vertical eye on his forehead resealed itself, leaving only a thin, blood-colored crack.
Gu Jianlin activated the spirituality detection bracelet on his wrist.
A mechanical voice chimed, "Current spirituality accumulation: seventy-five percent."
Hua An narrowed his eyes. "This speed is uncanny! While it's true that at the Extraordinary Level, no promotion ceremony is needed—just pure spirituality accumulation—this is still ridiculously fast. Even with the Breathing Technique as assistance, it's way too fast. In the recorded history of the Ether Association, your advancement speed at the Extraordinary Stage should rank second."
He paused. "The other person was your father, Professor Gu Ci'an."
At this, Han Jing coldly remarked, "Even Gu Ci'an might not have been this fast."
Gu Jianlin was momentarily taken aback.
That man turned out to be on par with his speed—truly bad luck.
"According to our studies, some individuals are inherently mentally resilient, unshakable like a rock. They're difficult to corrupt by the breath of Ancient Gods, immune to toxins from drugs, and can even resist a Magician's hypnosis through sheer willpower."
Hua An stroked his chin thoughtfully. "People like you could recklessly consume Spiritual Secret Medicines without developing resistance for a good while. Additionally, as someone on the Divine Path, you won't lose control. No wonder the King of Qing has his eye on you and plans to take you on as a disciple. As a Divine, you're flawless."
"Apologies for bombarding you with so many questions upon meeting, but there's no other choice. The Ether Association has been rooting out traitors recently. After the Black Cloud City leak incident, we've already caught quite a few."
He paused again. "The Nightmare Master issue has also left us sleepless. Speaking of which, we are here on behalf of the President to commend your bravery. The corresponding merit will be transferred to your account shortly."
Suddenly, Han Jing stood up, placed a hand over her chest, and gave a slight bow. "Fu Qingxuan is one of our Nightwatch Department's elites. According to his adopted son, neither of them would be alive if not for you."
She took a deep breath. "Thank you."
Gu Jianlin shook his head. "It was just something I did in passing. I only hope you thoroughly investigate this matter. Fu Qingxuan was afflicted by Soul Loss Gu while investigating the Nightmare Master. This situation is quite similar to Uncle Mu's condition."
There's no need to spell everything out too clearly.
Both Hua An and Han Jing naturally understood what he meant.
"Rest assured, Mu Feng and Fu Qingxuan are both under Deputy Group Leader Han's watch. The association will thoroughly investigate this matter to the end."
Hua An remarked, "We won't unjustly punish a good person, nor will we let any evildoer get away."
Han Jing's icy expression conveyed the same sentiment.
"Of course, this includes matters concerning your father. We will also take your opinions seriously. If you can provide solid evidence, the investigation into the Blood Moon Slaughter Incident will be reopened."
Hua An added, "These are the direct orders of the President."
"No need to be so surprised. This is simply what you deserve—the treatment befitting a genius."
Hua An smiled. "Finally, this brings us to the President's reward for you."
Gu Jianlin raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
Hua An solemnly explained, "In recognition of your brave actions, which greatly pleased the President, she has decided to grant you a reward. You may make a request to her. As long as it's not excessive and within reasonable limits."
This type of phrasing was extremely ambiguous.
It could mean anything—or nothing at all.
However, when Gu Jianlin heard the word "reward," he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Especially paired with the phrase "the treatment befitting a genius."
"What is the President's position in the human Extraordinary World?"
Han Jing frowned slightly.
Hua An, however, replied skeptically, "The highest."
Gu Jianlin asked calmly, "So, you're saying she holds the greatest authority?"
Both Hua An and Han Jing gave slight nods.
"There's a saying: 'With great power comes great responsibility,' which I don't agree with."
Gu Jianlin stated seriously, "The correct version should be: 'With great authority comes great responsibility.'
Hua An observed him with keen interest.
Han Jing continued to frown.
Even Lu Zijin looked up, sensing a bad omen.
"Everyone's dignity is equal. I don't need this high-handed, so-called reward."
Gu Jianlin said sternly, "If I weren't a genius, would I not have the right to investigate my father's case? If he truly was wronged, do I need talent to seek justice for him?"
"How many people like Uncle Mu exist in this world? Those who, despite everything, refuse to harm others even at their own expense. Must they rely on people like the King of Qing to stand up for them just to gain the right to live? Are such people destined to be exterminated by the Judgement Court?"
He continued seriously, "The President remains aloof. Has she ever spared a single glance for these people?"
"The highest leader of the Ether Association is the President, so all of this is her responsibility. If she turns a blind eye, then she's nothing more than a Vulgar Master."
Gu Jianlin remarked expressionlessly, "My request is simple. Have her come down—take a single look."
This request indeed wasn't excessive.
He wasn't even asking for himself.
Even so, Hua An was already stunned.
Before coming here, he'd heard about the audacity of this young man.
But he never expected it to reach this level.
Han Jing squinted her eyes, studying the young man carefully, her gaze uncertain and suspicious.
With a "pfft," Lu Zijin spat out her milk tea and silently gave him a thumbs-up.
What nerve—this taunt finally landed!
However, thinking it over, what he said wasn't outrageous. He spoke with dignity, reason, and logic.
Since the President took office, it had been a long time since someone dared to speak to her like that.
[PS: This novel is exclusively serialized on the Qidian Reading App. The next update will be at 11:30 PM tonight.]