William believed Stirling must know what happened in Rock Village. He wasn't just a passerby who killed the injured demon monk.

  "What malice domain? I do not know what you're talking about," Stirling shook his head, insisting he did not know.

  "You! Let me tell you this: in the future, Night Watch will encounter many situations like Rock Village. All things considered, then make a choice!" William didn't want to dwell on the past and instead issued a risk warning.

  "Ah, that's… that's quite terrible. I choose to join." Stirling almost blurted out, "That's awesome!" but changed his mind halfway through.

  William gave a resigned sigh. He'd found a clueless fool. He grinned and said,

  "I've already said all I know. If you join, I'll even get a referral fee. Man, you're really my lucky charm! Well, there is one more step to complete." William turned to walk into the house. When he came out, he was holding a scripture.

  "Please stand in the center of the hall, facing the sunlight, place your hands on the scriptures, and take the oath with me," William demanded.

  Seeing his solemn expression, Stirling couldn't help but straighten his clothes and emotions, and joined William in speaking loudly.

  "I, William/Stirling, swear to dedicate my life to the duty of the Night Watch."

  "No matter how strong the enemy is, no fear. No matter how dangerous the situation is, no surrender. No matter what temptation is, no betrayal …Because we are the city guardians." Two deep male voices echoed in the hall, making Stirling suddenly realize that he was now carrying a responsibility.

  "Okay, here, sign. Put your fingerprint on it, then take this badge to the station next door to get your uniform and weapon. Then the process is done." William handed the scripture and pen to Stirling, saying.

  Stirling didn't hesitate. After signing, he returned the scripture to William and asked, "By the way, what is this malice domain?"

  William, who was flipping through the roster, glanced at Stirling and continued. "Other calamities refine malice differently from Yearning Palace here. They just want quick results."

  "Take this Blood God Temple, for example. They buried the statue in the middle of the zone. Then, they activate it fully. This lets them draw malice energy each day. In the end, they sacrificed the entire village to complete the statue."

  Stirling felt baffled for a moment, then asked: "Are there complete and incomplete statues?"

  "Of course. Also, never destroy a complete statue, as that will create a malice domain in that area. At that moment, nobody can save you, not even a god," William warned, not joking.

  "Alright, thanks." Stirling took the badge, thanked William, and left the hall. He headed towards the Night Watch station.

  "This kid has such high martial arts talent. No one can stop him if he becomes a worshipper later." William had a vague sense of unease watching Stirling's retreating figure.

  Stirling stepped out of the Night Watch station. He carried a badge, a set of Flying Cloud robes, and a standard blade. Night Watch offered the sword and saber; Stirling preferred the blade still. This equipment showed that he had become a night watchman.

  The onboarding went well, but it's too bad the Bone Forging Method issue is still there. Night Watch has it, but it's not something a newbie like him can access.

  "I planned to quit the dojo if I could get the Bone Forging Technique here. But it looks like I'll still need to depend on the dojo."

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  Stirling looked at the uniform in his hands. He remembered his time at the station and folded his arms.

  "Only the first path is workable now." Stirling thought about this. Then, he went to his small house to drop off clothes before going to the dojo.

  Just as Stirling returned to his house and put his things down, he heard a knock at the door.

  Stirling frowned; despite that, he went to the outer courtyard straight away and opened the gate.

  Standing outside was a rather young man. Stirling didn't recognize him. He had fair skin and delicate features and didn't seem like a bad person. Stirling asked: "Who are you?"

  "Sir, I'm your new neighbor, Elias. I come to say hello and hope we can have a good relationship in the future." The young man, who introduced himself as Elias, bowed to Stirling with a warm smile.

  Stirling felt astonished, then pointed to Romeo's small courtyard next door and asked:

  "This house?"

  "That's right," Elias smiled again.

  "Ah, welcome! My name is Luis Chilavert. Nice to meet you." Stirling bowed and said.

  "Then…"

  "Bang!"

  Stirling slammed the door shut, leaving Elias outside, who hadn't finished speaking.

  "Holly shit. Anyone trying to get acquainted in this world is out of their mind."

  Stirling sneered in his mind and walked back to his hut.

  Outside, Elias watched the gate slam shut, his expression unchanged. He seemed completely unperturbed by Stirling's behavior, still smiling. He shook his head and turned to walk toward the next house.

  Stirling felt a bit surprised to see a newcomer in the neighboring house so soon. He figured it was another outsider like himself.

  "Praying that this time it's not a cultist."

  Stirling went back to his hut. He laid down the small mechanisms as before. Then, he left the house and walked towards the dojo.

  When Stirling arrived at the dojo, he saw most of the people gathered around Joe Mosley. They were chatting about something with glee.

  "Luis, Joe's skin resurfacing has improved again!"

  Someone spotted Stirling and called out to him.

  "Oh? Congratulations, Joe."

  Stirling nodded to Joe Mosley.

  "Hehe, keep it low-key, guys."

  Joe Mosley chuckled, enjoying the attention on the surface.

  "By the way, is Master Kim inside?" Stirling pointed behind him.

  "He should be, why?" someone asked, puzzled.

  "Nothing, I need a talk with Master," Stirling answered.

  He walked alone down the covered walkway to the backyard. There, he saw Master Kim sitting and enjoying tea.

  "Master," Stirling walked up to Master Kim and bowed.

  "What is up? Finding martial arts training boring?" Master Kim glanced at Stirling, then put down his teapot and chuckled. "Son, in this world, surviving is tough. Practicing martial arts is the only way to advance. Value your life, not waste your time with laughter and jokes like others," Master Kim said with gravity.

  "Master, I've broken through the Skin Barrier and applied for a position at Night Watch. I probably won't be here as often from now on," Stirling said, lowering his head.

  "What?!" Master Kim was surprised. His hand shook, spilling hot tea on the table and sending up steam right then.

  The old man stared at Stirling for a moment. Then, he stood up and reached for Stirling's wrist in a shot.

  Stirling felt only a blur before his eyes, and his arm was in Master Kim's grasp. He was shocked. Master Kim really lived up to his reputation as a grandmaster in the blood-boiling stage. Despite his old age, his movements were still lightning-fast.

  Stirling then saw Master Kim's hand tighten more and more. He felt puzzled and tensed his muscles without thinking.

  "Blood and vital energy surge like waves; skin is tough like rhino leather: a full skin-resurfacing realm."

  Master Kim blinked a few times, then tugged at his beard with some doubt, lost in self-doubt.

  "It makes little sense. I detected your bones back then; there's no reason for this…" Master Kim muttered.

  "Master, I can handle pain well. I've been practicing swordsmanship since I was a child, so I have some basic skills."

  Stirling gave the explanation at once that he had prepared.

  "High pain tolerance?" Master Kim repeated.

  "The medicinal bath and skin resurfacing didn't cause me much pain," Stirling explained.

  "I quite misjudged you. What's your name again, Luis…?"

  "Luis Chilavert."

  "Chilavert, right? From now on, you're my seventh disciple!" Master Kim said with a wave of his hand.

  "Master, but I've joined the Night Watch, so I can't come to the dojo as often," Stirling explained.

  "So what? My disciples are all in the inner city, but they still come back often, right? We don't need you to come here every day! Besides, you just entered the house of martial arts; the best job you can get is in the outer city."

  Master Kim said nonchalantly, with his hands behind his back.

  "I'll talk to Figo later, your sixth senior brother. From now on, you won't need to pay monthly tuition. Also, come directly to me during your weekly days off, and I'll instruct you in person!"

  Master Kim offered a new treatment.

  "Huh?" Stirling was dumbfounded.

  "Um, you are not willing to be my disciple?!" Master Kim narrowed his eyes.

  "Master, I, Stirling, am honored to be your disciple!" Stirling kneeled on one knee at once to Master Kim.