Chapter 128: Crimson Attire

A black trench coat and a black hat—this was the standard attire for official members of the Purple Crow. Reserve members were not entitled to wear such clothing.

The appearance of these two individuals in this attire indicated that both were official members of the Purple Crow, as well as Transcendents.

Numerous thoughts raced through Lin Huang’s mind, but he could not find a way to escape.

While the Minor Extinction Card was terrifying in power, it was only effective against targets below the Transcendent level; it had no offensive effect on Transcendents. This was dictated by the rules of the card’s effects: it was useless against those at or above the Transcendent level.

"If you two have no other business, let us go our separate ways. I have things to attend to," Lin Huang said, pretending not to recognize their identities.

"Little brother, let me introduce myself. My name is Hongzhuang, an official member of the Purple Crow." The woman with red lips clearly saw through Lin Huang's ruse. With a slight curl of her lips, she added, "My companion here is Xu Qiang, also an official member of the Purple Crow."

Lin Huang frowned. Since they had already revealed their identities, trying to bluff his way out was no longer possible.

"What do you two seniors want with me?"

"I think you’re quite impressive and would like to invite you to join the Purple Crow. I can be your sponsor and let you become a reserve member of the Purple Crow directly." Hongzhuang walked slowly toward Lin Huang, stopping less than fifty centimeters away. "You should know that, under normal circumstances, we only accept Gold-level individuals as reserve members. What do you think?"

"I haven't thought about which organization I want to join yet. Your invitation is a bit sudden; please give me some time to consider it." Lin Huang felt a slight sense of relief; he was surprised that they would invite him to join. However, he had absolutely no interest in joining an organization like the Purple Crow, so he had to resort to a delaying tactic.

"You’re quite smart not to refuse outright." Hearing this, Hongzhuang laughed. "A boy who is only at the Bronze level has managed to control a double-mutated Bloodthirsty species. If such a talent falls into the hands of other organizations and is allowed to grow, they could very well become a formidable enemy of our Purple Crow."

"Senior, you joke. I just have a bit of good luck. This Bloodthirsty species’ double mutation was entirely accidental; even I didn't expect it." Lin Huang carefully crafted his story, fearing he might reveal a flaw.

"Regardless of whether it was an accident or some other reason, the fact remains that your Bloodthirsty species has undergone a double mutation. We at the Purple Crow truly cherish talent. For Summoners who possess double-mutated summoned beasts, we offer excellent perks that far exceed those of organizations like the Hunter Association." Hongzhuang paused, then took a step forward, leaning close to Lin Huang’s ear to whisper, "If you are willing to join the Purple Crow, once you ascend to Transcendent and become an official member, I can grant you one request—even if it's a slightly excessive one."

After saying this, Hongzhuang winked at Lin Huang.

The burly man standing by, Xu Qiang, finally couldn't help but speak up. "Hongzhuang, why are you wasting so much breath on him? Why not just take him away?"

"You don't know anything. Persuading him is naturally better than forcing him," Hongzhuang retorted, turning her head to snap at him.

"Kid, I’ll give you two choices now: either be killed by us or come with us. I’ll give you ten seconds to think about it." Xu Qiang ignored Hongzhuang and addressed Lin Huang directly.

"Fine, I’ll go with you." Lin Huang knew clearly that no matter how long he dragged this out, these were the only two options. Although Hongzhuang hadn't said it, it was clear that this was her intention as well. He had no choice but to concede for now and look for an opportunity to escape later.

"See? My method was effective after all," Xu Qiang said with a laugh.

Hongzhuang gave him a dismissive eye roll before turning back to Lin Huang. "Recall your Bloodthirsty species."

Lin Huang nodded and recalled Bai.

In front of Transcendents, Bai’s strength was far from sufficient, and whether he remained by his side or not made little difference.

Xu Qiang stepped forward and pressed a hand onto Lin Huang's left shoulder. The life energy within Lin Huang’s body was instantly sealed, leaving him unable to move.

Xu Qiang hoisted him over his shoulder and asked Hongzhuang, "Can we go now?"

Hongzhuang ignored him, her hands moving rapidly to weave a complex seal. A large, black metal door soon appeared before them. She was the first to push the door open and step through. Xu Qiang followed, carrying Lin Huang.

On the other side of the metal door was an elegant, quaint room. As the three stepped through, Hongzhuang immediately retracted the door.

A middle-aged man, also wearing a Purple Crow trench coat, stood up from a sofa. "The two esteemed members have returned. Did everything go smoothly?"

"It went quite smoothly. Sorry for the trouble," Hongzhuang nodded at him.

Xu Qiang released the seal on Lin Huang and set him down.

"This is..." The middle-aged man looked at Lin Huang with curiosity.

"We met him on the road; he’s a little one from your seventh district. I want to recommend him to join the organization as a reserve member," Hongzhuang explained. "However, we have to return to headquarters to report on our mission and it’s inconvenient to bring him along. So, I plan to leave him with you for now. Help me train him, just don't kill him. I’ll come back to pick him up in three months."

"Understood, no problem. With your recommendation, this little brother is truly blessed," the middle-aged man said respectfully.

Lin Huang found it puzzling; both individuals were official members and Transcendents, yet the man’s attitude was far too deferential.

Hongzhuang turned her gaze back to Lin Huang. "We have a special mission to return to headquarters. You haven't completed the identity verification and registration, so you can't come with us for now. I have to leave you at this branch in the seventh district. I will return for you in three months."

"During these three months, they will send you to a recruit training camp to undergo the same training as other newcomers. You won't be killed, but you won't receive any special treatment either. How well you fare depends entirely on your own strength."

Lin Huang nodded. He felt slightly relieved that he was still in the seventh district. If he had been taken to another district, even if he managed to escape, it would be difficult to return to the seventh district in the short term.

"Since you’ve caught the attention of such a high-ranking member, I believe this little brother will perform well," the middle-aged Transcendent said to Lin Huang with a smile.

"We’re leaving then. This kid is in your hands." Hongzhuang summoned the black door once more. She and Xu Qiang stepped through, and the door automatically closed and vanished.

The middle-aged Transcendent appraised Lin Huang and smiled. "To be noticed by that person, you are truly lucky."

Hearing this, Lin Huang took the opportunity to voice his confusion. "Senior, you are all Transcendents wearing the Purple Crow uniform, so why do you address them as 'esteemed members'?"

"Transcendent is just a general term for the realm beyond the Gold level; it isn't a specific measure of combat strength. Even among Transcendents, the gap in power can be vast—you’ll understand this in the future. As for calling them that, one reason is that their strength is far greater than mine, and the other is that their rank within the organization is higher than mine." Because of Hongzhuang, the middle-aged Transcendent did not treat Lin Huang as an outsider.

"Do you see this emblem on our collars?" The middle-aged Transcendent pointed to his own collar, where a black metal piece the size of a thumb was shaped like a purple crow.

"Yours is black, but I recall theirs were red," Lin Huang noted.

"That’s right. A black emblem means I am an official member of the organization. Most official members belong to the branch offices. Above us are the red emblems like theirs; they are elite members who serve at the headquarters. There is also the highest rank, the purple emblem—those individuals are the core members of the entire organization. Every decision for the organization is made through their collective discussion," the middle-aged Transcendent explained.

"So that's how it is..." Lin Huang finally understood the internal structure of the Purple Crow, but he immediately realized that since Hongzhuang and Xu Qiang were elite members, their strength must be significantly higher than that of an average Transcendent.

"It’s getting late. Let me arrange a place for you to stay for the night. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the recruit training camp and tell them to look after you a bit. However, don't expect your time at the camp to be easy; at most, they can only ensure you aren't killed. Beyond that, you’ll have to rely on yourself." The middle-aged Transcendent was clearly doing this as a favor to Hongzhuang.

"Thank you, Senior. I understand," Lin Huang nodded, though he was already calculating if he could find an opportunity to slip away.