Chapter 111: The Captive Forest

"Hunting demons?" Li Changqing asked in confusion. "Shouldn't that be the topic?"

Lan Qiqi looked at him with a strange expression. As an undead who had sneaked into the Investigation Bureau, this guy surely had his own dark secrets. Yet, he seemed to know absolutely nothing about the Supernatural Investigation Bureau.

She spoke up, "Of course. The final assessment of the Bureau is basically hunting demons, but there are many variations."

"Normally, the Bureau captures weaker demons and puts them in cages for the newcomers to fight one by one. This has the lowest risk. After all, with examiners standing by, even if you can't win, your life won't be in danger."

"But this time, we are entering the Captive Forest."

"The Captive Forest is a place where the Bureau breeds demons. It's sealed off by a barrier. We will enter it to hunt demons, but we will also be hunted by them."

Li Changqing asked, "Why would the Bureau breed demons in the first place?"

"That's the Bureau's own secret. Who are you asking? I don't know either," Lan Qiqi said. "So, do you want to team up?" Lan Qiqi had her own goals and was determined to join the Bureau.

However, she was a witch. Direct combat was not her strength, and relying on the protection of the other two newcomers from the Seventh Division wasn't very reliable either.

After weighing her options, this mysterious undead who wanted to join the Bureau seemed like the perfect candidate. Following him would make her much safer.

Li Changqing thought for a moment, then shook his head in refusal. "I'm sorry, Miss Lan, but we aren't close."

He didn't know what this witch was up to, but he didn't want to get too involved with her.

Lan Qiqi's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "Fine."

After Lan Qiqi left, Li Changqing rested in his room. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Hu Xiong entering the room, looking very secretive. "I found out about this afternoon's exam topic. It's entering the Captive Forest."

"Damn it, you got the hardest topic, kid."

"You will enter the Captive Forest for three days. You have to survive in there and kill at least one demon to pass the exam."

"In the Captive Forest, the headquarters breeds a lot of strange things. There are even quite a few experimental subjects in there..."

Li Changqing asked curiously, "Experimental subjects?"

Hu Xiong realized he had slipped up and quickly changed the subject. "When you go in, find a few people to team up with. It's much safer. That beauty named Lan Qiqi from last night seemed interested in you. Even though she's a witch and isn't great at direct combat, her spiritual energy level is quite high..."

"I'll go tell Sima Xi in a bit..."

"I..." Li Changqing preferred to act alone. Otherwise, once he fought, his identity as an undead would be exposed. Lan Qiqi knew, but the other two from the Seventh Division did not.

"I'd rather act alone," Li Changqing said.

Hu Xiong frowned. "Kid, this is no joke. The bizarre things bred in the Captive Forest... it's fine if you don't run into them, but if you do..."

"Don't worry. Would I joke with my own life?"

Hu Xiong stared at him for a moment before finally nodding.

Soon, afternoon arrived. Five buses pulled up in front of the hotel. Only then did Li Changqing realize that there were quite a few people taking the exam.

Including the specially recruited ones, there had to be nearly a hundred people.

Before Li Changqing boarded the bus, Hu Xiong saw him off, frowning. "Kid, I'll be waiting for you here at the hotel. Although the mortality rate of the exam isn't very high, you absolutely cannot let your guard down."

"Yeah," Li Changqing nodded. "Don't worry."

After boarding, Li Changqing found a window seat. Just then, Lan Qiqi suddenly sat next to him and smiled. "Mind if I sit here?"

"No, of course not," Li Changqing smiled slightly, turning his gaze out the window.

Soon, the five buses slowly started moving.

Li Changqing noticed that the vehicles drove out of the Bureau's headquarters and headed deeper into the forest.

They drove for a full two hours along the forest road before finally nearing their destination. The area was guarded by federal soldiers.

It looked somewhat like the entrance to a tourist attraction, with a massive plaza and two high towers on either side. The towers were densely carved with runes.

"This is the Captive Forest," Lan Qiqi whispered. "Between the towers is the entrance."

"Isn't the Bureau afraid the demons will escape?" Li Changqing asked, looking at the vast forest.

"The Captive Forest is surrounded by a barrier array. The demons can't leave; they can only enter and exit through this entrance," Lan Qiqi explained quietly.

Soon, the five buses parked in the giant plaza, and the examinees got off one by one.

"Assemble!"

At the sound of a whistle, Li Changqing and Lan Qiqi followed the crowd and quickly lined up.

They stood in five neat rows.

At the very front, an elderly man appeared. He wore a long black robe and had sharp eyes. Looking at the newcomers of the Bureau, he spoke slowly, "The next exam is to enter the Captive Forest. You need to survive inside for three days and kill at least one demon."

"The demons in the Captive Forest all wear number plates issued by our Bureau."

"Those who come out with a number plate will officially become combat members of the Investigation Bureau."

The newcomers trained by the Bureau all had eager, expectant, and excited looks in their eyes.

They had trained in combat skills and cultivated spiritual energy since childhood.

All for this very day!

The old man's voice was loud and resonant as he shouted, "Are you afraid of death?"

"No!"

All the newcomers shouted in unison. Even Lan Qiqi joined in.

However, she noticed with surprise that Li Changqing, standing beside her, remained silent.

Li Changqing thought to himself, *It's not shameful to be afraid of death...*

"Very well!" The old man nodded. He knew very well that during the annual exams, most people claimed they weren't afraid of death, but in the end, many would fall to their fear of the demons.

"I hope you all pass the exam smoothly."

The old man turned around and said, "Open the gates!"

The sound of turning gears echoed from the massive iron gate as it slowly swung open.

Many of the newcomers had obviously teamed up beforehand. At this moment, they quickly entered in groups of two or three.

Li Changqing frowned and stepped through the iron gate.

The moment he crossed it, his eyes, enhanced by spiritual energy, could see a faint mist of demonic and sinister energy permeating the forest.

"To think there's so much demonic energy right at the entrance."

Suddenly, Lan Qiqi's voice came from behind him. "The terrain here naturally gathers sinister energy. It's not surprising."

Li Changqing glanced back at her and continued walking into the forest, only to find that Lan Qiqi was trailing closely behind him.

"Miss Lan, we didn't team up, did we?"

With a smile on her face, Lan Qiqi retorted, "Did you build this path? Am I not allowed to walk on it?"

Li Changqing was taken aback. She was certainly quick to learn how to be shameless.