Once Vivian Fang and Yvonne Hu had left, Fiona Tang suddenly turned to Shawn Young and said, "Shawn, actually, I should probably call you 'Dao Friend,' shouldn't I?"
"Uh... Dao Friend? Where'd that come from?" Shawn Young asked, raising an eyebrow.
"All Taoist sects share the same origin, even if there are many branches. We're all followers of the Three Pure Ones, so 'Dao Friend' is the proper way for us to address each other. Plus, the Taoist arts you practice come from the ancient Clear Sky Order—the most orthodox lineage, even older than the Heavenly Master Order!" Fiona Tang explained.
"Uh... How do you know I'm practicing the Clear Sky Order's arts?" Shawn Young asked, feeling a bit frustrated. Most Taoists wouldn't recognize the Clear Sky Order, and now even a young woman like Fiona Tang could spot it—he felt like his secret was out.
"Oh, I didn't figure it out myself. Howard Tiger discovered it when he was checking your breath and meridians! That's how I found out!" Fiona Tang explained.
"Checking breath and meridians?! So this Howard Tiger guy you mentioned must be a real master!" Shawn Young exclaimed. He knew that technique was top-tier Taoist stuff—only experts could sense someone's energy channels and use their own qi to fix them up.
Without serious Taoist skills, nobody could pull off that kind of technique. Shawn Young remembered his own meridians had been wrecked in the fight with Wu Xiang—though Wu Xiang probably got it even worse!
"Yep... Howard Tiger is now the deputy chief of the National Paranormal Task Force, and he's the top frontline fighter. Of course, his skills are extraordinary!" Fiona Tang nodded.
"Oh! You're with the National Paranormal Task Force too!?" Shawn Young asked in surprise.
"That's right! Why, have you heard of our organization before?" Fiona Tang shot back.
"Oh... I've heard of it! I have a good friend who's one of you guys," Shawn Young said.
"Oh? Really? Who's this good friend of yours? Unless they're a 'Heaven' level member—those files are top secret—I know most of the others," Fiona Tang replied.
"Ken Lin. He's a member of Division One in the National Paranormal Task Force! He's a really good friend of mine!" Shawn Young said.
"Ah! So it's Iceblade Ken Lin, the leader of Division One in Internal Affairs. He handles the southern provinces, so Nanning City falls under his jurisdiction. I heard not long ago he teamed up with Lean Tiger & Fat Dragon from Division Three to take down a Millennial Blackblood Marsh Rat! Any Five Elements demon with a thousand years of cultivation is tough—even Tiger King finds them tricky. But those three actually managed to defeat and destroy that Millennial Blackblood Marsh Rat. Pretty impressive! Still, based on what I know, their skills shouldn't be that advanced. The official report says they did it, and since the mission was completed, I didn’t ask too many questions." Fiona Tang said.
"Oh! So Ken has a nickname—Iceblade! Haha, I had no idea..." Shawn Young laughed.
"Yep, lots of frontline members in the Task Force have nicknames. By the way, how do you know Ken Lin?" Fiona Tang suddenly asked.
"Uh... well... I just sort of met him by accident..." Shawn Young quickly lied.
"Heh heh... Kid, if I'm guessing right—that Millennial Blackblood Marsh Rat was taken out with your help, wasn't it? Even if those three teamed up, they couldn't have handled it alone!" Suddenly, the door swung open silently and a tall figure strode in, his voice booming like a bell.
Shawn Young was startled and quickly looked over—standing before him was a tall old man, his short silver hair bristling like steel needles, long silver whiskers at his temples, a broad face and forehead, a purple flush to his cheeks, and eyes that glinted like lightning. He wore a black Tang suit and traditional Beijing cloth shoes, his stride powerful and commanding. The aura he radiated was overwhelming and majestic, like a tiger descending a mountain, full of wild energy. Shawn Young knew—anyone with that kind of presence was no ordinary person!
"Seriously, Boss Howard Tiger! Can't you ever just knock? You always pop up out of nowhere and scare the crap out of people! What kind of boss does that? You're not getting any younger, you know..." Fiona Tang rolled her eyes and teased.
"Heh... Fiona, I've got Dragon King above me as the real boss! Let him handle all the leadership headaches—it's way too much trouble for me." The old man was none other than Howard Tiger, deputy chief of the National Paranormal Task Force and the top frontline fighter.
Howard Tiger walked right up to Shawn Young and said, "Heh, kid, was I right or not just now?"
Shawn Young blushed, knowing he couldn't fool someone as sharp as Howard Tiger. He nodded and admitted, "Yeah... it was me and Ken Lin who teamed up to take down that Millennial Marsh Rat."
"Heh heh... When I saw Ken Lin's report, I knew something was fishy. Now I get it! Kid, you've got skills! Interested in joining us?" Howard Tiger asked Shawn Young bluntly.
"Uh... I'm still a university student, so I don't want to join any organization for now..." Shawn Young quickly shook his head and refused.
"So what if you're a student? Fiona's still in university too—and she's at your school! There are plenty of young folks in the Task Force. Our work isn't tied to your status. As long as you're Chinese, patriotic, and talented, you can join us! The perks and privileges are way better than you'd imagine. Kid, I think you're a real asset, and that's why I'm inviting you personally! Ask Fiona—when have I ever recruited someone myself?" Howard Tiger said proudly.
"Uh... Senior Howard, I really appreciate your help, but about joining the National Paranormal Task Force—I really don't want to consider it right now. Sorry!" Shawn Young answered without hesitation. He didn't want to be tied down, and most importantly—he didn't want anyone finding out his secrets!
Howard Tiger paused, his face darkening as he locked eyes with Shawn Young. The pressure in the room spiked, making Shawn's heart race. Even Fiona Tang tensed, worried—she knew Howard Tiger's temper was legendary, and if he got mad... things could get ugly!
But Howard Tiger's face softened and he burst out laughing, voice booming: "That's what I like! You've got backbone! I knew you were the real deal, kid. The tougher your spirit, the higher you'll climb! Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Wu Xiang is no pushover. Excellent!"
"Howard Tiger, you just love giving people a scare, don't you! My heart can't take it!" Fiona Tang exhaled, half-laughing, half-grumbling, surprised by how quickly things had turned around—her emotions felt like a roller coaster.
"Haha... Fiona, I've never seen you fuss over anyone like this! Don't tell me you're sweet on this kid?" Howard Tiger teased, flashing a big grin at Fiona Tang.
"Oh, please—Howard Tiger, act your age! Can you not mess around for once? We're trying to have a serious conversation here!" Fiona Tang's cheeks flushed pink as she huffed.
"Hmm? A serious conversation is just asking if this kid wants to join us! I've asked, and he's made his position clear. You think I'd force anyone?" Howard Tiger said, perfectly justified.
Fiona Tang shot him a look, then changed the subject and asked Shawn Young, "Dao Friend Shawn, since you know about the National Paranormal Task Force, how much do you actually know about us?"
Shawn Young thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Well... I don't know much. I just know your group is a secret national agency, full of hidden talent and powerful people, and you have a lot of special authority. Other than that... I really don't know. I'm not one of you, so it's not like I'd know all the details!"
"Yeah, that's just a small part. Let me explain—our National Paranormal Task Force is the sixth category of secret national troops. Regular folks have no idea we exist. There are fewer than a thousand of us nationwide, even counting those stationed overseas! But we're the strongest combat force in the whole military, even famous on the hidden global stage. We handle missions that other five categories can't touch—super tough, top-tier stuff, and we're on call 24/7! The Task Force mainly has two departments: External Affairs and Internal Affairs. But there's also a very special division—Heaven's Judgment!"
The External Affairs Department handles overseas missions, while Internal Affairs is responsible for domestic operations. Because of the nature of their work, External Affairs members are generally stronger than those in Internal Affairs. Most Task Force members work in one of these two departments.
But the Heaven's Judgment Division handles both domestic and overseas missions, with special powers—it's basically an elite group outside the regular structure, and there are fewer than five members! Heaven's Judgment only takes on the toughest missions. Howard Tiger is the division's number two, and also ranked number two on the China Dragon-Tiger Leaderboard!" Fiona Tang explained seriously.
"Whoa... Number two on the China Dragon-Tiger Leaderboard!" Shawn Young gasped, genuinely impressed by Howard Tiger's insane strength.