The late afternoon sun in Peking City had a sharper edge than Huaxi's, and yet, the streets were bustling with people; the main reason could be the weekend and the rush lunch hours, but still, for Lin Fang, who was from Huaxi City with only 5 million population, the sheer crowds in the capital city overwhelmed him quite a bit. Fortunately, the traffic system is quite great. It didn't delay his time in reaching the Guild District.

Upon reaching the destination and paying over 634 credits of taxi fare for just an 8km ride, Lin Fang stepped out of his cab and stood for a moment, taking in the sight before him.

This was Sector 1—the most fortified, prestigious block in the city. No ordinary hunter or merchant could afford to even set up business here. As cabs and private vehicles are not allowed here, he had to go to the bicycle stand and pay another 750 credits to rent an E-bike for 3 hours, before going past the gates and entering Sector 1.

It wasn't just him alone; there were many others who were riding E-bikes like him, a setup made by the Peking City's Hunter Association to earn more money this way.

On the way, he passed through many guilds, some looking traditional while some that went through renovations and rebuilding looked modern.

Titanfang Guild, Solime Guild, The Evil Purge, Blitzkrieg, and many more top guilds he spotted, but he didn't stop or slow down the bike to spectate. He rode and rode until he found a sleek, obsidian structure marked with a minimalist insignia — a vertical-shaped Eye encased in a hexagonal outline. Down below is the name Zero Guild.

But unlike the rundown structure in Huaxi City, this one is entirely modern and screams wealth. The lobby alone looked more like the front office of a national corporation than a hunter's guild with polished black marble, shimmering glass panes, and touch-screen displays listing bounty missions with five and six-figure rewards.

Inside, however, not many people existed. Only a handful of hunters lingered in the guild hall.

Lin Fang's eyes darted to the massive board behind the counter — a framed list of the guild's leading members, showing off the list with merits attached.

At the top, engraved in golden mana script:

Guild Leader — Shen Kai (S-Rank) : Merits: 2.4 million

Below that, twenty-seven names followed, all ranked according to merit, of which 6 seemed to be of A-rank and the remaining were B-rank.

Lin Fang had no idea what these millions or hundreds of thousands of merit meant, but he couldn't care less about it.

He went straight to the front desk, where a young woman greeted him with a professional smile. "Good afternoon," she said. "Are you here to post a mission, or are you a hunter wishing to join?"

Lin Fang shook his head lightly. "Neither. I'm here to meet your manager — surname Zhang."

Her polite smile stayed, but her tone grew slightly cautious. "Do you have an appointment with Manager Zhang?"

"No," Lin Fang replied. "But my master should have informed him about me already."

"Your master?" she echoed, eyebrows arching slightly.

Lin Fang nodded, lowering his voice. "Tell him that Li Chengfeng's disciple is here to see him. My name is Lin Fang."

The receptionist froze mid-keystroke, her composure slipping just slightly.

"L–Li Chengfeng…?" she repeated, voice almost a whisper. The name clearly wasn't foreign to her — no one in the guild network could fail to know it. The former SS-rank hunter of Northern Yan, one who dominated these lands in the 80s and 90s.

Lin Fang smiled faintly and leaned forward. "Also, tell him this."

He rolled back his sleeve and showed her the inside of his wrist. A mark that was shaped like a flickering flame.

The receptionist's eyes widened instantly. "Master Li's successor?" As she gasped aloud, Hunters in the lobby turned their attention to him.

"Did she just say Li Chengfeng's disciple?"

"No way… that monster had a student?"

"I thought the old master went into seclusion years ago!"

"No, I heard that he went with his niece, somewhere. You know, the heiress of Velcra Nestworks."

"But I heard that the girl eloped with her boyfriend, who was from a humble background. They eventually found them and dragged her back home."

While the whispers and murmurings filled the guild hall, the receptionist he receptionist blinked, still a bit dazed by the sudden attention. Then she nodded, regaining her composure. "Please follow me."

"You don't have to cross-check? Lin Fang blinked in surprise.

To which, she shook her head with a small, respectful smile. "That won't be necessary. No one in this country would dare to fake something like that and try to fool the Zero Guild."

She motioned politely and said once again. "Please come with me, Mr. Lin Fang."

Lin Fang gave a curt nod and followed.

She quickly left another staff member at the counter to replace her and led him across the main hall. Soon, they entered the sleek glass elevator that hummed softly as it ascended.

They reached the fourth floor, the administrative wing. It was quieter here with no hunter lying around.

The receptionist led him to a small waiting lounge just outside a polished office door. "Please wait here a moment, Mr. Lin Fang. I'll inform the manager," she said with a respectful bow before stepping inside.

Lin Fang sat down, gaze steady on the wall across, where a large sigil of the Zero Guild shimmered faintly. He crossed his arms in patience, though his senses were peaking to the max, trying to check around.

He could sense lots of people around, probably the staff members, making him wonder why a guild with fewer than 30 members needed dozens of white collar workers.

Barely ten seconds passed before the office door swung open. A young man, perhaps in his early thirties, with slicked-back silver hair and clear blue eyes behind rimless spectacles, darted out as if he was in a hurry.

He moved straight to Lin Fang and, without a word of greeting, seized Lin Fang's wrist.

Lin Fang didn't resist, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

The young man twisted the wrist slightly, examining the glowing sigil that shimmered faintly beneath Lin Fang's skin as he used mana. He muttered under his breath, "It really is the Guardian's Mark…"

The receptionist, standing nearby, frowned in confusion. "Guardian's mark?" she echoed softly, as if testing the unfamiliar phrase.

The young man adjusted his spectacles. "Leave us," he told the receptionist, tone calm but firm.

She hesitated only for a heartbeat, sensing the change in atmosphere, then bowed and quietly exited, closing the door behind her.

The man turned his full attention back to Lin Fang. The slight chill of authority radiated from him now as he backed off. "Sorry, I was just surprised."

"It's alright," Lin Fang said quietly.

The man gave a faint nod before stepping back and gesturing toward the inner office. "Come with me, Mr. Lin. We have much to discuss."

As the two entered the private chamber, the faint hum of mana seals suddenly closed behind them, unleashing a noise-canceling spell.

"Take a seat."

As Lin Fang sat down, the young man went on speaking. "First, let me introduce myself. I'm Shen Kai, the leader of Northern Yan's Zero Guild branches."

"Huh? Shen Kai?"

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