The G63 sped down the highway.
Beams of light from the streetlamps illuminated Lam Minh's still-dazed face.
"Still in shock, kid?" Mr. Quoc spoke, breaking the silence inside the car, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead.
"Yes, Master." Lam Minh was jolted from his thoughts and turned to look at his new master.
Originally, Lam Minh had only wanted a place to train and earn money, but somehow he had ended up becoming the disciple of a Nascent Soul realm powerhouse.
Mr. Quoc smiled, showing his white teeth. "Do you find it cruel? Let me tell you, from the moment you step onto the path of cultivation, don't think things are too simple. What you will have to go through in the future will be many times crueler than this."
Lam Minh looked at him intently, as if learning his first lessons from this respected master.
Mr. Quoc was quite pleased with Lam Minh's reaction and continued, "Cultivation is inherently heaven-defying, going against the will of heaven. Human lifespan has been getting shorter over time, but thanks to cultivation, humans can possess longevity, power, and status. If you see an ant slowly growing stronger, and one day it becomes bigger than you and can kill you, what would you do?"
"Exterminate it while it's still small and weak," Lam Minh replied after a moment's thought.
Mr. Quoc replied with satisfaction, "Correct. So when you step into the Qi Refining realm, you will understand what it means to go against the heavens. But for now, it's a bit too early for you to know about it, kid."
Mr. Quoc's words sent Lam Minh deep into thought.
Why did he cultivate in his past life? There was only one reason: to shine on the battlefield and marry Lieu Nhu Yen.
He didn't have a true dream of becoming a powerhouse, but now he understood.
Cultivation was about seizing longevity, power, and status, and going against the will of heaven.
No one knew what lay at the end of the path of cultivation, but many people still forged ahead.
And he had an advantage that not everyone possessed: the system.
He was confident that he would reach the pinnacle of the cultivation world.
There's a saying: "To do anything, you must first have faith in yourself."
Lam Minh found this to be quite true.
After the short conversation, both of them fell silent.
The car continued to speed down the road.
…
Bach Hoang Dojo.
When Lam Minh and Mr. Quoc entered the dojo, an oppressive atmosphere immediately hit him.
On the training platform, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle, their speed incredibly fast.
Lam Minh couldn't even see their figures clearly.
Waves of kinetic force washed over Lam Minh's face, the stinging sensation making his own fighting spirit boil.
Around the platform, 7 other disciples of his were observing the battle.
Seeing Mr. Quoc appear with Lam Minh, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, stood at attention, clasped their hands in front of their chests, and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Master!"
A very martial-arts-movie feeling.
"Alright, gather around," Mr. Quoc waved his hand.
All the students quickly came over. The two on the platform leaped, creating a beautiful arc as they flew to stand in front of Mr. Quoc and Lam Minh. Their eyes were all fixed on Lam Minh.
Quynh Nhu walked towards Lam Minh and nudged his shoulder. "Heh heh, kid, I knew you'd pass the test. From now on, the dojo will have a handsome guy around. I'm so tired of looking at these senior and junior brothers."
"From today on, Lam Minh will be your little junior brother, an official member of the Bach Hoang Dojo, and my 10th disciple," Mr. Quoc said in a stern voice. "Minh, these are your senior brothers and sisters."
Mr. Quoc spoke in a solemn tone.
Everyone replied, "Understood!" which startled Lam Minh.
He pointed to one of the two young men who had been fighting earlier, a tall man with a square, steady face and the most composed aura. "This is your Eldest Senior Brother, Tran Long, 24 years old, at the 3rd layer of the Golden Core realm."
Tran Long gave a slight nod to Lam Minh, his stern eyes silently assessing this new little junior brother.
He didn't have too many doubts, as anyone who could pass Mr. Quoc's test would not have a poor character.
He then pointed to another young man, who had a scholarly appearance and wore a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. "Second Senior Brother, Hoang An, 24 years old, also at the 3rd layer of the Golden Core realm."
Hoang An smiled warmly, a smile that made others feel very approachable.
Lam Minh nodded in return.
And so, he introduced the remaining six people one by one, including Quynh Nhu – Third Senior Sister, 20 years old, at the peak of the 9th layer of the Foundation Establishment realm. All of them were elites with cultivation levels of at least the 7th layer of Qi Refining.
After the introductions, Mr. Quoc signaled for everyone to follow him into an inner room. Unlike the training hall, this place resembled a meeting room, with a large screen and various high-tech equipment displayed inside.
Lam Minh entered the room and noticed a girl sitting in front of a "giant" computer setup, her hand movements as fast as lightning.
Lam Minh's first impression of this girl was that she was beautiful in a very cute way.
Paired with her beautiful face was a pair of thick glasses, no different from the bottom of a bottle.
Seeing Lam Minh staring at her, the girl was startled and gave him a slight, extremely shy nod of greeting.
Quynh Nhu nudged Lam Minh's shoulder and said in a sour tone, "Hey, kid, what are you staring at? Let me tell you, this hacker girl is not easy to get close to. She's a 'nerd' in the truest sense, with social anxiety and trouble communicating with people. On the other hand, she's the top hacker in the country."
Hearing Quynh Nhu's words, Lam Minh was momentarily surprised by this girl's talent.
She looked very young, probably only around 16 or 17.
Lam Minh stepped forward and extended his hand in front of the girl. "Hi, I'm Lam Minh, a new member of the dojo."
Seeing Lam Minh's action, the girl's face turned from red to blue with fear.
Instead of shaking his hand, she buried her head in the keyboard and typed away furiously.
The display screen flashed with all sorts of random tasks.
"Junior brother, don't be so rude. She's Minh Thu, our organization's hacker. Don't communicate with her. The only person she talks to is Master," the fourth senior disciple, named Tran Mo, reminded Lam Minh.
"Ok." Lam Minh gave an OK sign and backed away. It really felt like interacting with a bomb.
If she fainted right here, he wouldn't know what to do.
Mr. Quoc cleared his throat to bring everyone to order.
"Today we have a new member, so I will say this once more for Lam Minh and all of you to be clear," Mr. Quoc began, his voice more serious than ever. "The Bach Hoang Dojo is not a place where I teach martial arts for money. It is an organization with another name, a name in the nation's classified files: The Bach Hoang Special Reconnaissance Unit."
He paused for a moment and then continued, "The dojo is not a secret, but the reconnaissance unit is top secret. We are a special operations unit, directly under the Supreme Command. Our mission is any mission assigned by the state, and failure is not an option, even in death. The life of each and every one of you is a responsibility to the motherland. Even in death, you must not reveal your purpose, and you must absolutely not let anyone know you are a member of the reconnaissance unit."
The words "Special Reconnaissance Unit" made Lam Minh's heart pound.
I've stirred up a hornet's nest!
For Lam Minh, he had never been exposed to anything related to security and confidentiality. This was the first time he felt a sense of fear and responsibility.
"And what will you do on a daily basis? First, cultivate diligently so as not to disappoint the nation's investment. Second, accept any mission assigned, even if it is a mission that means death. Third, there are many insiders planted by the Cultivation World among humanity. We will be the unit that hunts down and eliminates any individual for whom there is sufficient evidence. Our privilege is to 'act first, report later,' so if there is a mission, all of you must be ready to support each other to get the job done."
"Is that clear?" Mr. Quoc clasped his hands behind his back and took a sip of tea after his long speech.
"Clear!" Everyone, including Lam Minh, shouted in unison, their voices filled with determination.
He looked at everyone with satisfaction and then signaled for them all to leave, leaving only Lam Minh and Minh Thu behind.
"Do you understand everything now?" Mr. Quoc asked Lam Minh.
Lam Minh struggled with his thoughts for a moment and then looked at Mr. Quoc with a determined gaze. "Understood, Master. But why isn't she leaving?"
"You can just treat Minh Thu as if she's invisible. That girl even wishes she didn't have ears," Mr. Quoc replied, looking at Minh Thu with an affectionate gaze.
Only now did Lam Minh understand why the test was so harsh. This wasn't recruiting students; this was selecting soldiers for a war without smoke.
"Alright, from now on, you can maintain your normal daily life, except that you can come to the dojo to train at any time. And when there is a mission, you must obey absolutely, no matter what you are doing. Understand?" Mr. Quoc asked Lam Minh.
Lam Minh looked at Mr. Quoc. "So, what's the salary, Master?"
Lam Minh was quite thoughtful about the issue of salary. Mr. Quoc had said a lot, but he hadn't mentioned the most important part: the pay.
Mr. Quoc burst out laughing when he heard Lam Minh's question. "30 million a month is the basic salary. There will be an additional bonus for capturing insiders, depending on their cultivation level. Body Tempering is 1 million per person, Qi Refining is 5 million, Foundation Establishment is 20 million, and Golden Core is 100 million per person. And finally, if you capture a Nascent Soul realm insider, the bonus will be up to 2 billion. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"
Lam Minh was startled by the salary he would be receiving, a full 30 million.
A very large salary compared to the average worker in Vietnam, not to mention the bonuses.
"Deal!" Lam Minh said with a firm voice.
What more could he ask for?
"Alright, it's getting late now, go home. We'll gather here at 6 AM tomorrow, kid," Mr. Quoc ordered Lam Minh.
Hearing Mr. Quoc's words, Lam Minh was startled and looked at the time on his mobile phone.
10:00 PM, October 13, 2025.
So he had been away from school for several days. He had to go back to school tomorrow, or his friends would think he had dropped out.
"OK Master, I'm heading back." Lam Minh replied and ran out of the dojo, blending into the bustling crowd on the street and heading home.